


Watching Past Memories

by Muddles367



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: ? - Freeform, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brotherly Love, Drama, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Memories, Past, Reaction, Sisterly Love, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team as Family, Um Pidge and Allura are there..., Watching, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2019-10-17 19:04:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 23,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17566232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muddles367/pseuds/Muddles367
Summary: Team Voltron is transported unknowingly to a location where they are instructed to thoroughly examine video's featuring their past. Through embarrassment, pain, love, fear, and an indescribable onslaught of emotions they must come together stronger than before, or drift apart, broken.





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> So Keith is totally my favorite character on Voltron, but I love almost every character. Seriously, whoever had a hand in their design did a FANTASTIC job. I’m going to try my best and make sure this fic doesn’t lean totally into Keith centric, so feel free to send me some warnings if I’m not giving certain characters enough love. 
> 
> Also, all relationships in my fic will be purely platonic. So I’m sorry for all you shippers, if you want you can read underneath the underneath and imagine how you would write it and kind of insert it into your image of the fic? I’m not making any sense, but yeah, that’s about it. Except in order to keep Lance in character there will be some flirting, mostly with Allura because that’s what happened in the show. So, sorry for those who think that’s a no go. Thanks for giving it a read!
> 
> Okay, one more thing. This kind of takes place in season five episode three. Like right after Commander Holt decided he’s got to return to Earth and everything, but before he actually does. So yeah, just some background. It’s a bit after they defeat Zarkon and everything with Lotor. Kay, here we go.

“Ow…”

“My, head…”

“Everyone okay?”

Pidge sat up from where she landed, coincidentally on the top of Hunk.

“Hey, ah, Pidge? Not that I don’t totally enjoy cuddling with you, ‘cause I do, but could you, um, move?” She scooted off of him, hopping unsteadily to her feet.

“That’s the spirit, number five!” Coran cheered, already stretching out his limbs and twiddling his mustache with one hand. Pidge looked around, taking in the situation of the rest of her companions.

Shiro was helping Keith to his feet, Hunk was complaining about something, it could have been food, that was the normal thing. Allura was brushing dust away and checking on Lance, who was groaning and nursing a bloody nose.

And Pidge had no idea where they were. “Guys?” Everyone looked over at her. “Where are we?”

That finally got everyone’s attention focused. With her prompting, they all scanned the room.

It had a white ceiling, white walls, and a white floor, making the L-shaped black leather couch and black coffee table stand out like a spot on a Dalmatian from where it stood in the middle of the room, facing a black stand and a flatscreen TV, like the ones from the early 20th century. A door led off somewhere, from the wall opposite of the machine.  
“What the heck?” Lance exclaimed. His eyes were wide as they took in the room’s blandness.

“It’s a primitive model.” Pidge explained, already speed-walking over to the machine. Sure being exposed to the countless amount of innovative alien technology in the universe had been a dream, but she missed toying around with earthen tech. “Probably centered around 2020 or so.” She reverently used a hand to stroke the side, glossing over bumps that she took to be buttons, and a glowing red spot, next to a power button.

“If you’re done groping the machine, can we figure out what’s going on?” Lance asked, irritated, with his voice nasally as he dabbed at the blood streaming from a nostril.  
Pidge scowled.

“I-I’m not groping it!”

“Perhaps Lance has a point.” Allura pointed out, twirling in a slow circle. “I’d like to know just how we’ve been transported from the castle of lions.”

Pidge wrinkled her nose in thought. Yeah...Allura was onto something. Pidge had been talking to her father only moments ago…

Wait.

“Guys, where’s my dad?” Her voice hitched. She had just been reunited with him. Pidge didn’t think she’d be able to take it if he was gone again. All those days, tracking down him and Matt…

Again, wait.

“And my brother!” Pidge suddenly rushed past the group of paladins and aliens, her panic overcrowding her judgement. It didn’t matter that this could be some trick of that Galra witch or some druid. It didn’t matter this could be some malicious attempt on Voltron from some unknown alien race. None of it mattered.

She needed to know if her family was alright.

Ignoring the calls of her friends, she burst through the door, and barreled into a hallway. It was long and narrow, with doors every few feet on either side. It reminded her of a cartoon she’d watched with Matt. A kid show about a talking dog and a group of friends who solved mysteries. There had been a skit when they got caught in a similar hallway, chasing themselves and monsters from door to door without any sense.

“Number five!”

“Pidge!”

“Hey, Pidge!”

“What are you doing?”

Everyone crowded through the narrow doorway, mouths twisted into frowns and eyebrows wrinkled with confusion.

“Pidge! Just hold on, we’ve got to make a plan.” Shiro advised, reaching out to grasp her upper arm and halting her in her tracks. “We don’t know where we are, or who put us here. Anyone of these doors could hold something dangerous.”

“I...yeah, yeah. Okay.” She crossed her arms and bit her lip reluctantly. “Then what’s the plan?”

Everyone turned to Allura and Coran.

“Um, yes?” She asked.

“You two are kind of the only aliens here.” Lance supplied helpfully. “Well, besides Keith, but he’s only half alien...and you two have actually traveled between worlds your whole lives, and Keith kind of grew up as some weirdo Earth guy. And we’re in space. So aliens are the prime suspect here. Not you two, I mean. But like, Galra, or something. And that doesn’t mean Keith or the blades either-”

He was interrupted by the sound of a door swinging open.

Keith looked back from where his head had been poked into a room. “Yeah, this is Hunks kind of thing.”

“Keith!” Shiro scolded. The former red and black paladin didn’t seem that borrowed, just pushing the door back further.

Hunk gasped and immediately rushed past the group, almost shoving Keith in his haste. Pidge, along with everyone else, filed through the doorway. She grinned at the awaiting sight.

It was a kitchen. A stainless steel fridge, double oven, upgraded microwave, a copper sink, pure white cupboards, cabinets, vibrant aquamarine subway tile, pretty much everything you would need. It was all there.

Hunk was in his element. He twirled around, taking in the sight, and running his fingertips gradually across the smooth granite countertops, avoiding a knife block, basket of fruit, a coffee maker, and a blender, among other things.

“This is...amazing!”

He approached a pantry door, seizing it and pulling back, allowing their gazes to land on on the hidden contents.

Pidge wondered, briefly, if they’d all died in some mass death and gone to heaven.

She stared at the butler pantry, stocked on one side with cooking ingredients. Flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, different flavored extracts, almost anything you’d need to cook something.

The other side had racks stuffed with junk food. Chip bags and instant soup cups or ramen. Candy, kool aid, artificial products artfully created to resemble all colors of the rainbow, and more.

Hunk seemed to have lost the ability to think. Lance greedily reached for a bar of chocolate, but retracted his stinging hand as Pidge swatted at it. Seriously, Shiro had just told them all to be cautious.

“Don’t eat anything!” She chastised. “What are you thinking!”

“I was thinking I haven’t eaten one of those in forever and it would probably taste good!”

“Pidge is right.” Shiro decided. “We don’t know where we are, and the presence of Earth food should just put us even more on guard.”

Pidge swept her suspicious gaze away from Lance, landing on Hunk. She took a moment to realize he looked personally attacked.

“Well standing around isn’t getting anything done.” Keith pointed out. He turned and strode for the door, his words carrying over his shoulder. “I’m scoping the place out.”  
“Wait! Keith!” Allura said. “We’ve got to stick together.“

Pidge noted that Keith had his arms crossed, staring firmly out the doorway.

“Allura’s got a point, Mullet.” Lance said, sidling up to the princess fondly. Keith let out a ‘tch’ noise.

Pidge rolled her eyes. Didn’t they understand now wasn’t the time for their bickering?

“Keith is correct as well, even if he was going about his actions in the incorrect way.” Allura said, stepping away from Lance’s swooning eyes. “It would be the best course of action if we were to ‘scope out’ our surroundings and dictate our next course of action.”

“Yeah, I don’t know guys. Maybe it’s best if we just make some sandwiches and talk about our plan from in here.” Hunk suggested, already inching toward the fridge.  
“C’mon man! Live for excitement.” Lance said cheerfully.

Ignoring Hunks protests, they all walked back through the doorway. And froze.

“Quiznack!” Coran cursed.

Each of the doors now had a gold plate attached to the front, with minuscule letters engraved in the material’s surface. Even the door they came from was now labeled, Kitchen.  
“What happened?” Pidge asked. No one answered. No one knew.

“Well, let’s get going.” Shiro said finally. They shuffled down the hall, randomly picking to go right from the kitchen, away from the door they came through, which was at the very end of the hallway. Right in the middle of the wall.

Most of the labels were random. A few read, Closet 4, or Powder Room A. One even read, Utility Room. They still opened them, and peeked inside. Noting the Earth cleaning supplies and machinery. But nothing stood out. Until…

Takashi Shirogane.

“Shiro?” Keith said in confusion. They all turned to him, only to discover his enraptured stare was bewildered.

Shiro stepped through their crowd, all of them shuffling out of the way obediently. He tugged the door open and took a cautious step inside.

Pidge made out a few shadowy figures, but nothing came into focus until Shiro reached forward and flipped a switch, correctly assuming it to be connected to a light. A queen sized bed was in the middle of the room, wooden headboard pushed up against the wall opposite from the door. A black comforter was tucked around the mattress, enveloping a group of pillows with white cases. A dresser was pushed against one wall, with another door leading off into another room. A stack of books, an alarm clock, and a lamp were arranged on a bedside table.

Shiro crept over a black-fur rug laid over dark wooden floorboards.

“Whoa, is that you, Shiro?” Lance asked. They all turned. Lance had stalked into the room and turned to the wall that the doorway was cut out of. Frames hosted colorful pictures that Lance was currently staring wide-eyed at. A man that looked considerably like their black lion paladin, but without the gray hair or a scar, was in one. He was also dressed in a black jacket and tough dark colored pants. His arm was hung around the shoulders of a young boy with an unruly mop of dark hair, expression screwed into an unamused scowl in comparison to Shiro’s grin. His arms were crossed over a red and white jacket. Lance frowned. “Wait...that’s not-”

“Keith.” Shiro confirmed, smirking. Pidge looked over and had to fight back a snort of amusement at the way Keith scowled and crossed his arms. Just like his younger self.

“Hah! You look so small, and short!” Lance crowed. “Wait! Look at this one!”

Lance pointed gleefully at another frame, holding a photo with the same desert background as the previous one. A vehicle parked in the back, mostly cut out of the photo. Both Keith and Shiro were wearing the same clothes. Shiro’s grin had widened to blinding proportions and his hand was ruffling the top of an outraged Keith’s head.

“He looks like a cat when you throw a cucumber at it!” Lance continued, trying to breath through his laughter. "Shiro, you're amazing!"

“It is rather adorable.” Allura put in.

Keith’s cheeks took on a light dusting of red, and he shot Lance a glare.

“Wow, Shiro.” Hunk said. He was also smiling. “You look...different.”

Pidge could see what he meant. It wasn’t just the hair or the absence of his patented scar. There was a different way to how he handled himself. Even in the photo it was obvious a weight was absent from his shoulders. A weight that had slowly grown in size, pulling down on his frame.

“Uh, thanks?” Shiro replied hesitantly.

“I agree.” Allura said, smiling softly. “You do appear quite changed. It’s nice to see what you two looked like when you were younger.”

Another photograph was more formal. A Shiro decked out in a military ensemble stared into the camera, a light tilt of his mouth present.

Pidge glanced at the third and felt a soothing sensation rest in the pit of her stomach. It was the whole team, back when Keith was the pilot of the red lion and Lance the blue. Allura and Coran were both there along with the paladins, and everyone was smiling widely. Well, wider than usual. Keith clearly had a thing with photos. His arms were crossed then too.

And the last one, that was really a punch in the gut. Matt and her father were both in it, smiling up at the camera with Shiro. Pidge ran a hand through her hair. It was so much like younger Matt’s.

“These are lovely!” Coran cried. “I remember my grand-”

He never got to finish, because Pidge interrupted.

“Guys, as fun as it is acquire possible blackmail material on Keith, and see a better-looking Shiro-”

“Hey!”

“How are these photos even here?”

Her question brought them all to a standstill momentarily.

“Well I guess we should keep going, right?” Hunk asked. Shifting nervously. Probably anxious to change the subject. “Figure out what’s behind the rest of the doors.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” Shiro said, taking one last wistful glance at the photographs.

This time when they went into the hallway nothing immediately stood out as changed. Still, Pidge scrutinized every inch she could get her eyes on.

“Hey! Check it out!” Lance crowed. He immediately zeroed in on the door across the hall. They hadn't noticed it before, to confused by the door sporting Shiro’s name, but this one caused just as much alarm.

Keith Kogane.

“Oh, I’ve got to see this.” Lance declared. Pidge watched as he plowed past a frozen Keith and swung the door open promptly. “It’s definitely Keith’s!” Lance called back from inside. That brought Keith to life. He huffed and stalked through the entrance promptly.

Pidge caught Shiro and Allura sharing a glance out of the corner of her eye, before she filed in the room behind a energetic Coran.

The room had the same dresser and door leading off to another room, as well as the same size bed. However, Keith’s had a vibrant red bedspread, with the same red colored rug, over the same type of flooring. And unlike Shiro, he didn’t have any books or possession in the room.

But there was something else…

The same two photos of Keith and Shiro from the last room were hung on the wall. Pidge let out another smile at the sweetness of the photo’s. There was one of the rest of the team, with Keith smiling from the middle of a group hug. Pidge noticed herself sobbing from within Allura’s grasp, arms tangled around Keith’s neck. (AN: Sorry for the interruption. Just picture that hug scene from season 4 episode 1).

One photo had Keith in a Blade of Marmara outfit, mask down, and talking to others dressed in the same gear.

There was even a picture of Keith standing in front of the red lion, defensive against an incoming enemy. Most likely Galra, taking into account the technology of the ship in the background.

Pidge stared in wonder at the various photo’s dictating multiple moments, but one glance at Keith told her that he wasn’t occupied with them at all. Instead, his focus was entirely dedicated to one simple frame, hosting the image of a man with a small figure grinning from in his arms. Young Keith, growing out of his toddler years.  
The man had a scar running through his eyebrow, rough stubble lining his jaw, and brown hair curling to an end under the nape of his neck.

“Um, Keith?” Pidge tried. That brought the rest of the group’s attention to him.

“Keith? Are you okay?” Shiro asked. He was also staring at the man in the photo, and Pidge thought she might’ve seen a glint of recognition in his eyes. But he didn’t say anything. She didn’t ask.

“I-” Keith cleared his throat, and Pidge watched as his hands closed into fists. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”

He stalked out of the room, back into the hallway.

“Huh, what’s up with him?” Lance asked.

“Just leave it be, Lance.” Shiro said quietly, already starting for the door.

“Yes, perhaps it is best we continued checking out the area.” Allura decided.

Back to the hall.

“I wonder who’s next.” Hunk said from his beside Pidge. She nodded, thinking the same thing. If Shiro and Keith both had rooms, than it was only natural for them to assume they also had a spot picked out for them.

And when she got out into the hall, and followed their party a few steps down, they found out who was next.

“You’re up, Hunk.” She announced.

Said person groaned.

This time it was Hunk who went and opened the door. Same dresser. Same door leading off somewhere, probably a bathroom or a closet. Probably the same as Keith and Shiro’s room. Pidge guessed that they should probably actually check that out.

The bed had a yellow comforter, and a yellow rug was sprawled over the ground. A chest was pushed up against the bed frame though. When Hunk opened it a neatly arranged group of tools was visible, as well as other items that would be useful for engineers.

A stack of books was on his nightstand as well, but they weren't novels. Pidge went over and picked one up. It was a stack of cookbooks.

Hunk didn’t spend much time at the chest though. He immediately zoned in on the wall with pictures, eyes filling with unshed tears at the images.

There was one of the team, all covered with green goo after the food fight that led to them bonding as a team for the first time.

Another was of Lance, Hunk, and Pidge in the simulator, Hunk’s face screwed up with tension, Lance confidently wrapping his fingers around the controls, and Pidge herself clicking furiously away on a keyboard.

Pidge grinned, looking over at Hunk and noticing that his attention was fixated primarily on the largest photo. Hunk grinned from among a family photo, with a mix of people all with the same skin color and blinding smiles white smiles. Even their hair was the same color.

Hunk didn’t seem like he was able to say anything.

“They’re wonderful, Hunk.” Allura commented.

A sniffle.

“Yes! Indeed, quite a resemblance.” Coran added.

Pidge reached up to lay one hand on Hunks shoulder, and he smiled down at her through the tears.

“Look’s great, buddy.” Lance said.

“Th-thanks.” For a few more minutes they stood, letting Hunk bask in the warmth of seeing his family again.

“Well, I think it’s best if we keep moving.” Allura finally decided. They all nodded, and walked back out. Hunk trailing.

Pidge turned to see who was next and froze.

Katie ‘Pidge’ Holt.

She should have known. Pidge sighed. It was what was to be expected, and she had gone through everyone else's rooms. It only made sense that they went through hers.  
Without acknowledging anyone else she opened the door.

The bones of the room were pretty much the same. Dresser. Rug. Bed. Door. Pictures.

Only she had the color scheme green, and tech covered almost every available surface.

Pidge resisted the urge to run her hands over each device and soak in the tingle she knew she would get racing up her hands and arms. Instead she turned to the photos.

There was a photo of her and the team in her room as well. Shiro was smiling confidently. Lance was smirking flirtatiously. Hunk held up a hand in a greeting sort of way. Coran was twirling his mustache. Allura had her hands clasped together. Keith had his arms crossed. And Pidge was adjusting her glasses.

It warmed her up from the inside.

The next photo caused a lump to form in her throat. Her mom and dad were there, beaming at the camera, with a younger Matt and Katie grinning, gaps easily noticeable in their smiles. Matt's hand was squeezing her shoulder.

“Matt looked just like you.” Shiro pointed out, grinning at the Holt siblings.

“Thanks, Shiro.” She choked out. They may have settled into a less hostile mindset about their situation after the photos calmed them down, besides Keith, but he was always pretty hostile. Either Way, Pidge turned pointedly away from the photos. They had things to do, she couldn’t be bothered by her past right now. She needed to stay on guard.  
She turned away from a few more photos of her with friends and family, catching the other door next to the dresser out of the corner of her eye. Curiously she made for it, and knocked the door open.

It was a bathroom. White tiles made up the rooms floor, with a simple toilet, bath with a shower head, and a washbasin sink, with a wooden base.

A bifold door was on one wall, resting halfway open and showing the shelves holding various items.

“What did you find, Pidge?” Shiro called from the other room. Pidge scanned the closets shelf.

Pants. Shirts. Even a dress. Underclothes. She bent down to look at a lower level and froze. Hygiene products.

“Pidge?”

She straightened up quickly, smacking the closet door shut. That was something the others didn’t need to see. Sometimes she resented the large amount of males in her life.  
“Nothing, just a bathroom and a closet.” She stepped out of the room to find everyone staring at her. “Well? Are we going to keep going? I don’t have to remind you we haven’t exactly found any answers yet.”

“Yeah, good point.” Hunk agreed. So they left the room, the sound of footsteps reverberating off of the walls.

Pidge scanned the hallways again. Nothing seemed changed.

“Hey! It’s me!” Lance announced happily. And it was.

Lance McCain.

“Pictures!” He cried happily, bounding over to rip the door open.

Lance’s room was identical to the others, besides the fact that for his personal belongings he had a bunch of video games and posters hung up on the walls of various Earth logos and the color scheme was blue.

Lance didn’t bother with any of that. Instead he jumped over to stare at his wall of photos. There was another one of the team, but without Allura and Coran. And it wasn’t like the others. This one was like a mash up, carefully cut slices stuck together, each sliver featuring one of their faces. Pidge looked at the photo of herself and found it looked like she was uttering a battle cry. A glance at the other four told her that everyone’s mouth was open in a shout besides Shiro, whose mouth was tilted into a grim line. She squinted at the background of the photo’s. It looked like they were in their lions.

There was a photo of Lance in a blue robe, holding out a cup of milk to Allura and Coran, who looked washed out of color and were staring in horror. Kaltenecker was in the background.

Allura let out a bit of a squeaking sound when she saw the image and Pidge noticed Coran staring open mouthed and in terror.

Keith frowned, and Pidge saw he was looking at the same image. “What is-”

“Milkshakes.” Coran said, as if it explained everything.

Keith clearly got the message, he didn’t ask anything else.

“Here it is!” Lance cried, pointing a picture overflowing with people surrounding a cheerful Lance. “That’s my mom, and dad, and sister Rachel, and brother Marco, and my other brother Luis, and that’s my other sister Veronica, uh, she’s a bit of a spitfire, and then that’s my grandma, and that’s Lisa, she’s Luis’s wife, and this is my niece and nephew, their names are-”

Pidge listened as Lance fired off the names of everyone, along with comments to give some context. She couldn’t help but smile slightly as Lance bounced happily and let tears well up in his eyes.

Finally he was done, breathing in a gasp of fresh air and finishing by smiling wistfully.

“They sound wonderful, Lance.” Allura said. Pidge noticed she seemed to be doing this with a lot of their photographs. Saying sweet things about their families or memories. Pidge wondered if it was because she would never see her own again.

“They are.” Lance agreed. “I just hope I see them again soon.” His eyes roamed over photos of him, stealing batter from a bowl with Veronica chasing him with a spatula, his brother jabbing his side and Lance letting out a silent scream of mirth. Different moments that wouldn’t seem so much at the time, but were now priceless.

“Lance, I don’t mean to cut this short, but we should keep moving.” Shiro prodded.

Lance cleared his throat and adapted a false cheery tone.”Yeah, yeah, you’re right.”

Still, even when the rest of the team left, Pidge noticed Lance run one hand careful over the family photo and sigh sadly.

But he was the one who closed the door.

They turned to the room across from Lance’s and the boy grinned cheerfully, even if drying tear tracks were still visible, glimmering in the soft hallway light. “Well, looks like me and you were meant to be.” He smiled winningly, but Allura ignored him, instead making for the door, as if in a trance.

Princess Allura of Altea.

Pidge watched as Allura’s hand drifted up to cover her lips and chin, as if acting as a blockade against a wave of emotions.

The door opened soundlessly, allowing them access to another identical room, but with a pink bed and rug, as well of multiple alien artifacts stacked on the bedside table or atop the dresser.

Pidge and the rest of the group turned to the photo wall, feeling as though it was an automatic motion at this point.

There was a picture of Allura and Coran looking out at the Paladins, right when they had first met. Pidge smiled, melancholy welling up inside her.

Another photo held a baby, young enough to look like a newborn, a woman who looked extraordinary similar to Allura, and her father, King Alfor. Pidge looked over to find that Allura’s hand had tightened around her mouth, stifling a sob as tears welled up and dripped down her cheeks.

Coran looked as though he was fighting down his own feelings, bubbling personality torn away. Carefully, he placed a hand on Allura’s shoulder and she hurried to fling her arms around him.

“I’m sorry, princess.” He murmured.

Another photo displayed a toddler Allura and Pidge couldn’t help but coo at the adorable eyes staring up at something out of the pictures edges.

“You were an adorable kid, Allura.” She said. Allura offered up a watery smile.

“Thank you.”

They stood like that for a few minutes, staring at the wall just like they did in every other room.

But it couldn't last.

Allura let out a sigh, and straightened up, wiping the moisture off of her face. “We must take our leave.”

No one said anything. It felt different, in Allura’s room. They’d all been sad, staring into the faces of their families, but as far as Pidge knew, no one else’s family was completely dead. Allura’s was, and this was her chance at seeing them again. Or, at least a photo of them.

They walked out of the room silently.

They all knew that unless there was only room for those who were, or had been paladins, Coran was next.

And they were right.

Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe.

Lance let out a low whistle. “That’s a mouthful.”

“That’s a legacy!” Coran announced, but his tone was softer than his usual boisterous self. He opened the door wide and the team filed in.

Coran also had multiple alien objects, with an orange bedspread and rug. Their were some devices that looked similarly made as those is the castle, but also things made of weird variations of metal and material.

Coran cheered at he flashed around, making odd comments and comparing items to old memories from 10,000 years ago.

As he did that, Pidge couldn’t help but turn to the photo wall curiously. There was one of Coran holding a younger Allura, both grinning. Another of Coran surrounded by the king, as well as other Alteans wearing important looking clothes. Pidge shrugged. Coran had been a trusted royal advisor, as well as a mechanical engineer. It made sense he was part of gatherings with royalty and put in charge of watching little Allura.

One more recent photo was of Coran and Allura watching from above as the team tried to make it through a training exercise. Pidge snorted at the unimpressed look on picture Allura’s face, and Coran’s cheerful demeanor. Looks like she knew who the bad cop and good cop were.

“Wait, that’s Allura?” Shiro confirmed. He was looking at the one of Coran holding a younger Altean.

“Sure is!” Coran agreed. “She was a fussy little child! Always underfoot!”

“Thank you, Coran.” Allura said, clearly showing she was fine with them not trekking down memory lane and bringing up embarrassing stories of a younger her.

“Oh!” Coran cried in delight. “And this is my Grandpappy Wimbelton!” He gestured proudly to a photo with a younger toddler Coran waving around a wrench and a older Altean man grinning as he held the boy in his arms.

Coran’s smile faded to a ghostly line of remembrance. He sighed, and Pidge guessed that he was lost in memories.

“The man we have to thank for so much of your knowledge, as well as our home.” Allura added.

Coran grinned. “Of course! Grandpappy was a genius!”

“If he built the castle, than he definitely was.” Hunk said. Pidge and the rest of the group nodded in agreement. Even if they had little engineering experience compared to Hunk and Coran, they could appreciate the effort involved in building such an amazing place.

Pidge trailed off into her thoughts, and no one else said anything to disrupt the quiet…

“Guys. We should keep going.” Keith insisted. “We still don’t know where we are and as much as it’s been great that you all got to see your families again I’m more concerned about how the photo’s ended up here.”

Shiro sighed. “That is disconcerting. I don’t know what else could be down the hall though so maybe we should keep moving down-”

Keith had already walked out.

“Hey! Mullet! You could wait up.” Lance chastised angrily, stomping out of the room to follow his self-proclaimed rival. Of course, everyone followed.

Keith’s hand was already on the doorknob of another door, pulling it open before Pidge got a chance to glance at the tag. Keith had frozen in the doorway. Pidge shoved through the ranks of her teammates, why did everyone have to be so tall?

She pushed past the team and...froze momentarily. Just a few steps further in than Keith. The rest of the team pushed through the doorway too, frowning at what they saw.

It was a training room, almost identical to the one in the castle.

For a few moments they roamed around cautiously, prodding at machinery and controls.

“They even have a training bot!” Hunk exclaimed after Allura summoned one, letting it pop up ready for combat. No one engaged, but Pidge could see a few of her male teammates, former and current, itching for a chance at the device.

Allura dismissed the bot.

After no one else could really think of anything else to do, they left the room and continued down the hallway.

“Hey, guys?” Lance said suddenly.

PIdge tensed, expecting some sort of attack, but besides Lance’s face turning over look confused nothing happened.

“Yeah? What’s up Lance?” Shiro asked, ever the leader.

“Well, this is getting a little repetitive, don’t you think? I mean, I can see the end of the hallway.” He gestured impatiently toward the end, just a few doors down. “And we still haven’t found anything. Not even an exit of any kind!"

“We could always bust out of the walls.” Keith suggested.

Pidge sighed. “Yeah, we’re most likely in the middle of space, but go ahead. Kick open the walls and possibly compromise our nice oxygen infused air. Go ahead.” She deadpanned.

Shiro cleared his throat. “Um, you guys why don’t we just keep going through these last few doors? Then we can go back to that room we came in if nothing comes up. Maybe there’s something we overlooked down there.”

“Sounds perfect.” Allura agreed.

So they went through the rest of the doors.

There was one room filled with Altean healing pods, as well as shelves of medical supplies, some Earthen.

The next room had an actual swimming pool, with towels hanging on hooks, and benches overlooking the water. Pidge smiled, she hadn’t been swimming for a while...she kind of wanted to jump in.

She pushed the feeling away and they made their way to the next room. This one was filled with shelves filled with books, and small wooden tables with chairs. Pidge pulled a few down and caught glances at a few popular series’s from Earth. Something was definitely off.

But Pidge felt her suspicions fade at the next stop.

Tech; computers, motherboards, wiring, keyboards, spare parts, they were all piled neatly into cubbies along with tools. Pidge had to be dragged out, hissing all the time.  
They peeked into the last few, different things like game rooms and gyms that would have made sense in a regular home.

“Okay, that’s everything. We going back to the spawn room?” Lance asked.

“I say we head back to the kitchen.” Hunk suggested hopefully.

“We still don’t know if that’s safe.” Shiro vetoed.

“The training room seemed suspicious.” Keith pointed out.

Pidge decided to try her luck. “Hey, that tech room we just passed-”

“We’re going back to the first room.” Allura said, in a final sort of way. Pidge scowled, and sent the tech room door a loving look of yearning as they passed.

“It’s so weird.” Lance said. “This place. Earth stuff and alien things everywhere. Someone clearly thought whatever the heck this is out.”

No one really seemed to know what to answer, so they entered the first room quietly, spreading out over the white surroundings.

“Hey, what’s that?” Pidge said suddenly, eyes zeroing in on the coffee table in front of the black couch. A slip of paper was left there, an uncapped pen carelessly laying over it.  
They all approached it, steps tentative.

No one reached out to read the words they could see scrawled across the paper in black ink.

Pidge sighed and grabbed the paper, flattening it out and plopping onto the black couch. The writing was messy and small, with curly lettering squeezed together.  
Pidge read aloud.

      Coran and current and former Paladins of Voltron,

      You’ve been brought to this residence to enable a plan where you will safely learn about yourselves and your teammates, albeit unwilling, this is an opportunity to grow and flourish as a group. A series of videos documenting your past endeavors have been compiled and are waiting in the second drawer of the TV stand. Time outside in your current position affects individuals differently than those outside of your surroundings. Time will pass at a rate that will not allow the Galra or others to receive an upper hand in your future battles. Unfortunately the forces used to gather the disks you will be viewing are not unhindered. Watching these will result in any painful sensations transferring from your past self and allowing you to experience them yet again. Trying to escape is a fruitless venture, and destruction of your surroundings is not permanent. When the disks have been fully viewed by each member of your party you will be brought back to your place as though these experiences never happened, with only your memories to show otherwise. Breaks are expected and acceptable, however all members must be present for the viewing. If unable to conform to these rules the videos with pause, and resume once everyone is ready to view.

P.S. Hunk, the kitchen is fully stocked and lists of food left on the counter overnight will allow us to drop items off.

P.P.S. Pidge, the tech room is filled and ready, but measures have been set in place so no signals may be sent to outside forces.

P.P.P.S. Team, mostly Keith, do not go overboard with training. Shiro, it’s up to you to ensure all Voltron members continue to stay as healthy as they arrived. Er...healthier. You may also take this time to heal up. Coran, if (when) Shiro inevitably fails, you and Allura can both successfully manipulate the healing pods.

P.P.P.P.S. Lance don’t break anything.

P.P.P.P.P.S You can’t leave until you’ve succeeded in you task, so just bypass the complaining and begin watching.

Pidge breathed in. “There isn’t any signature.”

“Well, that’s not ominous at all.” Lance cried, throwing his hands up in frustration. “And why did they single me out for the bad thing!”

“They singled Shiro out for the impossible thing.” Allura pointed out.

Shiro frowned. “They did make it clear they thought I would fail…” Pidge didn’t know if she was mistaken but it sounded as though he was disappointed.

“Well, the video’s are actually here.” Keith declared. He stepped back from the open TV stand, holding an old DVD plastic container that almost everyone stopped using years before, instead focusing on storing their movie collections online.

The front of it had a photo of an assembled Voltron, hanging in outer space with the top of a planet visible in the background, with the words Voltron: Legendary Defender, written artfully at the top, changing colors gradually as the words progressed. A green heading was at the very top, reading, SEASONS 1&2 / 26 EPISODES. Below a doodle of a man fishing from a moon and the word DreamWorks.

Pidge stared.

No one said anything for a minute, and Keith eventually let his arm fall, holding the DVD in a limp grasp.

“So…” Lance finally said, his shoe scuffing against the pristine flooring, flat like they were standing on pure white granite countertop. “A-are we going to watch it?”

“No.” Keith decided immediately.

“Well we know his vote.” Pidge summed up. She thought it over for a second. “I-I think we should do it.”

She watched Keith’s scowl deepen. Pidge glanced at everyone else.

Shiro furrowed his brow. “I’m not sure. It would bring us closer together as a group…” He conceded.

“I don’t have any issues with it…” Hunk said. “I trust all of you.” He summed up.

“I’m not sure.” Lance said. “I trust you all too...but if I know anything about TV shows, it’s that there’s always arch’s where we find out things the characters wouldn’t want anyone to know.”

“Are you hiding something, Lance?” Allura asked with concern.

“What! No!” Lance objected angrily. He frowned and looked down at his feet again. “I just...think it might get a little awkward. Knowing everything about each other.”  
Keith was nodding.

“The note did say we would be unable to leave until we watched the series.” Coran supplied helpfully.

Shiro sighed before, surprisingly, turning towards Pidge expectantly. “Pidge, you said you wanted to watch the videos, can you tell us why?”

She bit her lip, feeling put on the spot. “I guess….well besides how cool it would be to have a series based off of us, this thing that put us here, it, she, he, they, whatever it is, has demonstrated that they have lots of resources. They gathered photographs of us that clearly meant something to each individual, and they dropped us into a said to be time-warping zone unannounced. And if these videos are right, they even gathered hours of footage of us. It doesn’t sound like the type of thing I want to mess with.”

“That’s a good point. Or, points.” Hunk agreed. “I want to watch, if it's showing our pasts there’s a chance we’ll see our families again too.”

Pidge watched as Allura went ramrod straight. “Yes, I believe it would be for the best if we do watch the videos.”

“I agree.” Coran said. Pidge snorted, he was obviously siding with Allura.

“Let’s take a vote.” Shiro finally announced. “Keeping in mind we can anger some possibly really powerful force if we say no, who would like to watch the videos?”

Pidge, Allura, Coran, and Hunk all let their hands shoot up. Shiro followed tentatively, and Lance frowned before sticking his hand up as well.

Keith scowled again, but sighed and raised his limb.

“Okay, I guess I know what we’re doing.” Shiro said. “Does this mean we trust the thing that wrote the note?”

“No.” Keith said stiffly. “We can’t just trust it. It could have ulterior motives, and all of this is just a trap.”

“Thank you, Mr. Cheerful.” Lance said, reaching forward to tug the DVD’s out of his friend. “That’ll be all we have time for today.”

“Let’s just watch the first video.” Pidge said, trying to keep tempers from rising. Really, they were arguing when something as important as this was going on? Talk about needing to find priorities.

This time, she snagged the DVD from Lance, leaping forward to click a power button on the DVD button, which had been conveniently placed right under the TV, between it and the stand.

“Wait! We are just going to begin?” Allura asked.

“Why not?” Hunk countered, already settling himself onto the couch, right in the middle. Lance plopped down next to him, and Allura and Coran sat where the L part of the couch branched off, Coran against the armrest.

As Pidge fiddled with the devices controls, unearthing a remote control that matched in one of the stands drawers, Shiro sat down next to Lance, and Keith reluctantly sat, squeezing up against the other arm rest besides Shiro.

“Almost got it…” Pidge muttered. “There!” She happily stepped back, holding the remote in one hand, and forced herself into a nonexistent spot between Lance and Shiro. Really, someone should have thought through the sizing of this couch.

Lance clapped his hands together and rubbed them greedily. “I guess we’re starting.”  
And they were.


	2. Episode 1 Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the team begins the first episode, they're interrupted by a second note from M. After reading it, and discussing the content, the team ultimately starts the footage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um...hi? Guess who's back...  
> So, before you read on, which is the reason you're here, let me just say, I'm sorry. I know this update took forever...  
> And here are my useless excuses that you don't really care about.   
> -It's the end of school right now (so busy! busy! busy!) and that sucked up my time with testing and finishing papers and projects and whatever's.  
> -I'm still figuring out how often I want the characters to comment or to act in the setting. Hopefully I'm better prepared next time.   
> -And this first episode is practically 3 put together, which is why I'm splitting it into two chapters. Don't worry next one won't take as long, since I actually got into a bit of it before just splitting it in two around halfway. 
> 
> So that's all for now. See you at the end of the story I guess...

Shiro wiggled a little in his seat, trying to give Pidge enough room so she wasn’t seated half on his and Lance’s laps. He could feel Keith’s irritated stare burrowing into him as Shiro cut into his space. Keith had never liked physical interaction.

Pidge, however, on his other side, was cheerfully burrowing into her spot. “It’s starting!” She exclaimed. But even as the TV changed color, it paused on a blue screen.

“What’s that?” Hunk asked suddenly. Shiro glanced up and watched as a slip of paper flitted through the air slowly. Lance and Pidge both reached up, but the smaller girl managed to snag the note before Lance.

She grinned as she opened it and read aloud.

Paladins (former-present) and Coran,   
  
**Congratulations! You’ve successfully chosen to watch the episode’s in a reasonable amount of time! Honestly, I assumed Keith and Lance would take much longer to convince. Anyway, since you’re onboard, we can get rid of all that professionalism from the last note. Pidge, I’m not an ‘it’, but you can call me M if you want. Since that’s out of the way, I’ve recently come to the realization that, duh, you guys can talk. So, whenever you converse for an extensive period of time I’ve put in place a program that will pause the TV automatically. Once you’ve finished your conversations the TV will automatically resume. This way I don’t have to worry about you missing anything.**  
 **Enjoy, and try to have fun!**  
 **-M**

“At least we know that ‘it’ is named Em.” Hunk pointed out.

“Well, how was I supposed to know?” Pidge asked.

“Wait, is Em short for Emily or something?” Lance interrupted. “Emma? I mean, if it’s a boy it could be Emmett, or Emerson…”

“What?” Pidge’s eyes widened with clarity. “No! No, her name’s just M. Like the letter.”

“How do you know M is a her?” Allura asked.

Pidge shrugged. “Just feels right.”

Shiro rubbed his flesh hand across the bridge of his nose as a headache began to form. “Okay, now that we’ve established that we’ve been brought here by a girl named M, I think we need to look at the deeper implications of that note.”

“That doesn’t sound comforting.” Hunk decided. “What ‘deeper implications’?”

“Apparently M doesn’t believe that our group can stay silent throughout important moments.” Coran pointed out.

“And she’s probably going to blast Pidge to death now for insulting her.”

“Wait, what!” Pidge swiveled around to glare at an innocent looking Lance, bumping into Shiro as she moved.

Allura’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. “M is...perhaps...proud? That we came to the decision to watch the show?”

“That might means she’s mad at me and Keith!” Lance pointed out, eyes wide.

“Keith and I.” Pidge corrected.

“Wait, slow dow-” Shiro began, looking baffled at the eruption of conversation.

“What if she blasts me!” Lance wailed.

“And we could be in the firing zone!” Hunk cried, immediately glancing around for any sign of a threat.

As the two dissolved into speculation, Keith sighed. “That wasn’t what Shiro was getting at.”

Lance and Hunk both stopped and turned to the former paladon. “It wasn’t?” Hunk asked.

“No, it wasn’t.” Shiro agreed. “And so far it doesn’t look like M plans on harming any of us.”

“That’s not completely true.” Allura denied. “In the last note she did say that while we watched the show we would feel sensations of pain just like our past selves did.”

“Well that sucks.” Pidge decided.

“Anyway,” Shiro said hastily, trying the tug everyone’s attention back on track. “What I was really trying to say, was that M knew that Pidge had called her an ‘it’.”

“How would I know!” Pidge protested.

Shiro ignored her. “The way I see it, M is probably watching us. I mean, how else would she know what you said?”

No one said anything for a moment.

“I knew something was wrong.” Keith declared. A few harsh looks were sent his way.

“Well, it’s not like this changes anything.” Lance said. “This just proves that we know even less about our situation.”

“That’s comforting.” They ignored Keith’s comment, pointedly.

“Lance is correct.” Allura said, and the current red paladon looked at the female alien in surprise. “We still need to watch the show to escape. And M seemed to become friendlier in her second note, which she sent after we decided to watch.”

“That’s right.” Pidge agreed. She reached for the remote. “So, I say we just watch the episodes.”

“I second that.” Hunk agreed.

“Wonderous idea!” Coran cried.

“Okay.” Shiro said.

“Click play already!” Lance shuffled in his seat impatiently.

“Let’s get this over with.” Keith added reluctantly.

“Alright! I’m going!” Pidge clicked a few buttons and the screen flickered.

**Music begins to play. A picture of a moon takes up the screen. Voltron appears and slices it to fit the shape of a crescent. The word DreamWorks appears. The phrase, ‘The Rise of Voltron’ flickers in glowing blue font across the screen. The image is replaced by Voltrons face, with the light flickering.**

“Cool!” Lance crowed happily. “It’s like we have our own theme song or something!”

**The blue lion launched itself out of the water and begins to fly through the air. The picture is replaced by Allura cutting through enemy aliens.**

“Go Allura!” Lance cried.

“Are you just going to keep talking through this whole thing?” Keith grumbled.

**The yellow lion flies out of the ground, and the image is replaced by Hunk brawling, slamming enemies to the ground with his elbow.**

“Go Hunk!” Lance cheered purposefully.

“Go Hunk!” Pidge echoed happily.

**The green lion vaulted up out of the trees, soon to be replaced by Pidge and Matt, mirroring each other as they double punch.**

“Go Pidge and Matt!” Lance, Allura, and Hunk shouted.

“Go me and Matt!” Pidge added.

**The red lion swoops out of a spiral of lava, and glares menacingly towards the camera. Lance is shown shooting purposefully.**

Shiro debates for a moment, before deciding to join in.

“Go Lance!” Allura, Hunk, Shiro, and Pidge say.

Lance grins, glowing with pride.

**The black lion flies expertly around a Galra ship, leaving it exploding in the background. Shiro then dominates the scene, his arm coming to life.**

“Go Shiro!” Everyone besides Shiro himself and Keith say.

**Three Blade of Marmora members glide through space and the camera zeroes in on one, who slams into a ship’s surface with electricity arcing around him.**

“Go Keith!” They all shout, besides the mentioned individual.

“Wait.” Lance interrupts. “Are we sure that’s Keith?”

Keith rolls his eyes. “It’s me.”

**The image of Lotor piloting a craft dominates the screen, a Galra ship exploding in the background. The menacing eyes of the Galra leader replace him, flickering out till all that is left is open sky. A purple beam shoots into the sky, followed by red and green, and yellow and blue.**

“Amazing!” Pidge breathes, in the tone she usually reserved for her tech.

**A transparent model of Voltron is layed over the flashing of the paladins faces. Keith. Shiro. Lance. Pidge. Hunk. And then the image of everyone hugging. Then fighting. Then a shot of some rebel forces. The Blades. Then back to the cover of Voltron.**

“That was so awesome!” Lance said. “I kind of wish we had some catchy theme song, like, with words and stuff. But still, I guess you take what you can get.”

“We did look pretty incredible.” Pidge said smugly.

**The scene changes.**

**Shiro, Matthew Holt, and Samuel Holt are on Kerberos collecting ice samples.**

Shiro freezes, and he feels Pidge tense beside him. “Is this when…” She trails off. Shiro nods.

He can practically feel the easy atmosphere hardening.

**"Easy, son. This ice is delicate." Sam cautions as Matt works meticulously, gathering his samples.**   
**Matt continues slowly, and reserved. "Amazing. Isn't this exciting, Shiro?"**   
**Shiro carefully holds the equipment above the scientists. "You guys get a little more excited about ice samples than I do."**

A few chuckles, but all amusement is flattened by the expectation of what is to come.

**Sam speaks contently, observing as the two younger men work together. "This is history in the making. Not only have we traveled farther than any human ever has, but this ice could hold microscopic clues about the existence of life outside Earth."**   
**The camera flicks to center on Matt’s grinning face. "Think of it, Dad. We could use those clues to become the first people to meet aliens."**

“Well...not the first.” Allura pointed out, glancing Keith’s way.

“They ended up doing a lot more than just proving alien life exists.” Pidge said fondly, a tinge of melancholy in her tone. “A lot more.”

**"My life's work would be complete." Sam says agreeingly.**   
**The area around them begins to rumble, interrupting the calm.**

  
The team winces as they watch.

"What is that? Seismic activity?" Questioningly Sam begins to back away from the equipment.   
"We should get back to the ship." Shiro warns.   
The menacing shadow of a Galra warship flies overhead, and all three humans stare, enraptured by the sight.

  
Pidge winced, unconsciously inching closer to Shiro.

**Sam’s tone is incredulous as he asks, "Wha—? What is that?! It can't be..."**   
**Shiro’s eyes widen. "Run! Come on, run!" He grabs a hold of Matt’s arm and tugs him along as Sam follows.**   
**The Galra ship released a glowing red field of light, which the three humans are caught within, screaming and kicking at open air as they’re sucked upward.**

  
“There was no need to take them on board!” Pidge cries out furiously. “The amount of liforms they pass across the galaxy and they decide to take three people for kicks!”

“Hey, hey, it’s all okay.” Shiro consols. “All three of us are safe now.”

**From a dark screen the voice of a Galra Commander echoes. "Emperor Zarkon, we were scouting system X-9-Y as ordered when we found these primitive scientists.”**   
**Shiro startles awake from unconsciousness, eyes widening as they take in the image of the Galra commander reporting to his emperor over a transmission.**   
**“I don't think they know anything useful."**

“Then why would you need to kidnap them?” Pidge growls protectively.

“Uh, Pidge? We get it.” Hunk tells her hesitantly, before slinking down under the pressure of her glare.

**"Take them back to the main fleet for interrogation. The Druids will find out what they know." The menacing shadow of Zarkon commands.**   
**Shiro glances at Matt and Sam, who are both forced to their knees beside him at gunpoint. He turns to desperation, begging the hostile aliens. "Please, we come from a peaceful planet! W-We mean you no harm! We're unarmed!"**

“You can’t reason with the Galra.” Allura said darkly. Shiro notices Keith shift awkwardly.

**Shiro is hit in the back of the head by a Galra blaster, and he sinks back into the darkness. When he comes too he is being dragged down a hallway, one of his companions being led harshly with their hands behind their back.**   
**Fractures phrases are heard as Shiro regains his senses. He looks out a window and lets out a gasp at the walls of prison cells.**

**The words ‘One Year Later’ are typed across the image of Earth hovering in space.**   
**Lance’s voice disrupts the silence suddenly. "Galaxy Garrison flight log 5-11-14. Begin descent to Kerberos for rescue mission."**   
**The front window of a ship show’s the craft descending to Kerberos’s surface.**

“Wait, what?” Shiro asked suddenly, thinking it over. “A year later...what would be the point to send out a rescue mission?”

Lance coughed awkwardly into his fist. “Uh, yeah. That wasn’t a rescue mission.”

Shiro frowned. “Then what was it?”

Lance clapped a hand over Pidge’s open mouth. Shiro let it pass, he’d figure it out soon anyway.

**Hunk groans from his seat. "Augh. Lance, can you keep this thing straight?"**   
**Lance shugs, unconcerned. "Relax, Hunk, I'm just getting a feel for the stick. I mean it's not like I did this!"**   
**Lance jerks the controls, and Hunk groans as the ship is jostled.**

  
“Sometimes I look back and regret our friendship.” Hunk sighed.

Lance squawked in indignation.

**"Or this!" Lance flips the ship the other direction.**   
**Hunk sighs, fighting off bouts of sickness. "Okay... unless you want to wipe beef stroganoff out of all the little nooks and crannies in this thing, you'd better KNOCK IT OFF, MAN!"**

  
Most of them wince at the imagery provided.

“That is most unpleasing.” Allura shuddered.

“Ugh,” Pidge waved pointedly in Allura’s direction. “She doesn’t even know what beef stroganoff is, and she’s still disgusted.”

**Pidge's monitor activates with a chirp.**   
**Pidge is shown. "We've picked up a distress beacon!"**   
**Lance adjusts his controls with a controlled expression. "All right, look alive, team! Pidge, track coordinates."**   
**Pidge swivels to her devices. "Copy."**   
**The simulator starts to rumble and alarms blare as Hunk grips his chair forcefully.**

**"Knock it off, Lance, please!" Hunk pleads.**   
**Lance response promptly. "Oh this one's on you, buddy. We've got a hydraulic stabilizer out."**   
**Hunk weakly pulls up a monitor.**

  
“Maybe if someone was easier with the equipment we wouldn’t have had those issues.” Hunk murmured mutinously. Still, Shiro knew even if Hunk acted annoyed, he was fine with Lance’s reckless endeavors as long as no one got hurt.

**Hunk once again fights off his stomachs unrest. "Oh no—"**

  
“Lance, you’re just asking for trouble.” Keith muttered.

“Thank you!” Hunk exclaimed. “I knew I’m not the only one who thinks that.”

Shiro watched as Lance crossed his arms and pouted.

**"Oh, no—Fix now, puke later!" Lance orders.**   
**"I lost contact. The shaking is interfering with our sensors." Pidge informs the two boys**   
**Lance turns around in his chair to chastise his friend. "Come on, Hunk!"**   
**"It's not responding. Ugh..." Hunk moans, turning away from his monitor. He then unbuckles and rushes to the stabilizer, sloppily.**

  
“Steady, Number 2!” Coran warned.

**Lance’s control’s beep. "Oh, never mind, fellas. Thar she blows. Preparing for approach on visual."**   
**Pidge twist’s around wide eyed. "I don't think that's advisable with our current mechanical and... gastrointestinal issues."**   
**Hunk is shown choking down vomit again in the background.**

  
**“Gross!”**

**"Agreed." Hunk says.**   
**Lance looks over his shoulder unimpressed. "Stop worrying. This baby can take it. Can't you, champ?"**   
**Lance pats the simulator reassuringly, but the simulator rumbles violently.**

  
Shiro watched as Pidge shook her head, followed by an eye roll. “He is such a little egotistical-”

Shiro tuned out the rest.

**Lance tries to salvage the situation. "Uh, see? She was—she was nodding. She was nodding. Pidge, hail down to them and let them know their ride is here."**   
**Pidge unbuckles the seatbelt and stands to reach the microphone.**

**"Attention lunar vessel—Uwah!!!" Pidge screams as she is thrown roughly to the floor.**

  
“Not a word!”

**Pidges eyes narrow as Lance looks over from the pilot seat and rebukes her. "What are you doing? Buckle your belt. And Hunk, stop that shaking!"**   
**Hunk holds open a box. "I-I'm try—ah-ah o-oh no—!"**   
**He vomits in the main gearbox and the rumbling stops.**

**Pidge tries once again to speak into the microphone. "Attention lunar vessel, this is Galaxy Garrison Rescue Craft One Victor Six Three Tango. Coming in for landing and extraction, against crew recommendations."**

They laughed.

Allura stifled a giggle. “You were quite amusing even before you were made paladins. I’m finding these videos rather enjoyable.”

Keith scowled. “That’s only so far.”’

Shiro glanced over. Keith was still sitting with his arms crossed and his jaw clenched, as though expecting the TV to come alive and attack the group.

**"Uh, no time for your mutinous comments now, Pidge. They're going under and we're going in." Lance begins to urge the simulator towards the surface of Kerberos.**

**"Look out for that overhang!" Pidge warns.**   
**"No worries!” Lance calls helpfully. “My first year in flight school, you know what they called me? They called me 'The Tailor' because of how I thread the needle.”**

Lance shifts under the unimpressed glances sent his way. “It’s true!” He said defensively.

**Pidge and Hunk don’t look so sure, but Lance grins maniacally as he coaxes the device. “Come around, come around! Come on, come on—!"**

  
**The simulator strikes the overhang.**

**"We lost a wing!" Hunk cries wide-eyed as he examines a screen flashing red warnings.**   
**"Oh, man..." Lance complains as the simulation flight crashes and the simulation ends.**

  
“Way to go, trailer.” Pidge teased. Shiro, however, leaned forward in worry. He knew that the three were safe, they were sitting right next to him, but as far as he knew they were somehow able to crash on Kerberos. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

What was happening?

**"Simulation Failed." The computer says, in a emotionless feminine voice.**   
**All three cadets are shown to be sitting depressed in their seats. "Nice work, Tailor." Pidge taunts.**

  
Pidge blinked. Probably about the similarity of what she had said.

Shiro leaned back in relief. It was just a simulation, nothing to worry about. In fact, he was a little disappointed with himself for not guessing the scenario before the situation was revealed.

**The simulator door opens and Iverson appears. He bends down to look through the too short opening and yell at the three teens. "Roll out, donkeys!"**

“What? Donkeys?” Allura asks.

Lance grinned. “A donkey is an animal with four legs from Earth-”

“Oh! I see! A donkey is a variation of a Kaltenecker!” Coran deducted with a brilliant smile.

“Um...not exactly…” Shiro intervened, but before he could continue his explanation he was interrupted by Pidge smacking his human shoulder.

“Yes, a donkey is similar to a Kaltenecker. Can we keep watching?”

  
**As the tree exit the simulator to stand before Iverson and their class, Iverson addresses the group.**   
**"Well let's see if we can't use this complete failure as a lesson for the rest of you students. Can anyone point out the mistakes these three so-called cadets made in the simulator?"**

“Wait.” Shiro interrupted, the screen pausing at the sound of his voice. “Keith, you were in the same classes as Pidge, Hunk, and Lance, weren’t you?”

Keith nodded in agreement. “Some of them, yeah.”

“Then why weren’t you in the crowd?” Allura interjected. Shiro looked expectantly at Keith, mulling over the same question that Allura voiced.

Keith shifted awkwardly, looking unsure as he was about to answer.

“It’ll show it in a minute anyway. Besides, Keith, weren’t you just complaining about the interruptions a few minutes ago?” Lance asked. “Let’s just keep watching.”

Shiro noticed the way Keith’s shoulder’s bent. It was the way he moved when he was relieved.

**A boy with outgrown brown hair raises his hand. "The engineer puked in the main gearbox!"**   
**Iverson "Yes, as everyone knows, vomit is not-” Irverson glares at Hunk “-an approved lubricant for engine systems. What else?"**   
**Hunk shoulders slump.**   
**A darker-skinned girl speaks up next. "The Comm Spec removed his safety harness."**   
**Before Iverson can address the last remark, a green-eyed girl with glasses waves her hands wildly as the video focuses on her. "The pilot crashed!"**

“I wonder, why would the students wait to point that out until the end?” Coran asked.

Hunk, Lance, and Pidge exchanged bewildered looks. Hunk shrugged. “I don’t know, personally I’m offended that my stomach got in trouble first.”

**Iverson clearly agrees, because he doesn’t reprimand the girl who interrupted. "Correct. And worst of all, the whole jump, they're arguing with each other! Heck, if you're going to be this bad individually, you'd better at least be able to work as a team! Galaxy Garrison exists to turn young cadets like you into the next generation of elite astroexplorers, but these kind of mental mistakes are exactly what cost the lives of the men on the Kerberos Mission."**

Shiro’s mouth fell open and he felt Pidge and Keith tense beside him. “W-wait, they thought the Kerberos Mission-”

“They kept saying it was your fault.” Keith hissed. “Pilot error.”

Shiro winced. “Well...that’s fine. We know that wasn’t the case.”

Keith didn’t look convinced, and Shiro could tell Pidge was still upset. Looking around, he found everyone’s expressions tightened as well.

It wasn’t fine.

**Pidge angrily tenses, and begins to shout. "That's not true, sir!"**   
**Iverson his head over to face Pidge. "What did you say?!"**

**Pidge tries to continue, but Lance clasps a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, sir! I-I-I think he may have hit his head when he fell out of his chair. But point taken."**

“I still can’t get used to seeing you represented as a male.” Allura admitted.

“Imagine how it felt for me.” Pidge said dryly.

**Iverson begins to stalk forward, hands clasped behind his back. "I hope I don't need to remind you that the only reason your here is that the best pilot in your class had a discipline issue and flunked out. Don't follow in his footsteps."**

Lance’s expression begins to resemble the depressed way his features are screwed around on the screen.

As his thoughts whirl, Shiro noticed Allura bite her lip as she realized Lance’s distress. Shiro knew she was thinking about how Lance had acted since he had first become a paladin. He had noticed it too. The way the boy continued to feel insecure about different tasks. Shiro decided to keep an eye on Lance, and all his younger teammates from now on.

**“Next!" Iverson’s shouts.**

But now that Shiro had gotten over thinking about Lance, he still couldn’t get by the previous statement. The dots came together, and looked over at his dark-haired friend. “Keith? You got...kicked out? I knew you left the Garrison, but I didn’t think that you were thrown out.”

“Well, what did you think he meant?” Pidge asked. “Keith literally said, ‘booted from the Garrison’ in that shack he was living in.”

“How do you remember that?” Lance asked.

Keith crossed his arms, ignoring Pidge and Lance. “It’s not like it mattered. I ended up in space anyway.”

Shiro sighed, deciding that if it seemed like he needed to he would talk to him later. He doubted Keith would feel up to a heart to heart right then.

Lance, Hunk, and Pidge dejectedly watch as their classmates board the simulator.

  
**A wide shot of the Garrison is showed.**

**"Lights out in five!” Iverson shouts. “Everyone back to their dorms, now."**   
**Lance, followed by Hunk, creep forward from behind a bend in the hallway. "We shouldn't be doing this." Hunk decides.**   
**Lance however, doesn’t seem bothered. "You heard Commander Iverson. We need to bond as a team. We're going to grab Pidge, hit the town, loosen up, meet some nice girls, maybe—" The lights are turned off.**

Lance coughed awkwardly. Shiro figured that watching this now, knowing Pidge’s true gender, it was a little different than the first time around.

**Hunk interrupts Lance from the darkness. "OK, I'm just—I'm just saying this here, right now, on the record: This is a bad idea."**   
**Lance determinedly snuck through the hallway, followed by a reluctant Hunk.**

  
“You should listen to Hunk.” Allura pointed out.

“Thank you!” Hunk cried.

**"You know, for someone in a space exploration program, you don't have much of a sense of adventure." Lance says as they prepare to sneak by the Instructor’s Lounge.**   
**"All of your little 'adventures' end up with me in the principal's office." Hunk says, as Lance peeks over the screen dividing them and the military personel.**

  
“You should definitely listen to Hunk.” Shiro agreed.

“You see? Shiro and Allura agree.” Hunk added.

“Well, if you didn’t listen to me we never would have found Shiro, Mullet, and the blue lion in the first place!” Lance defended.

“That...is a surprisingly good point.” Pidge conceded.

“Right?!” Lance cried happily.

**Lance drops onto hands and knees and crawls forward, out of sight from the instructors. Hunk follows, grumbling. "Oh, man..."**

**A guard is shone patrolling. "L-5 North all clear.”**   
**As soon as the guard moves on, Lance and Hunk are shown hiding within the darkness of two trash cans. Lance jumps out, landing expertly, while Hunk forces himself out from the squishing metal sides and ends up falling over dramatically.**

  
**"I'm fine." Hunk says, popping back up.**

“Nice recovery.” Pidge snarked, but without any bite in her tone.

**Pidge leaves Irverson’s office, carrying her backpack of gear. Lance watches as Pidge races down the hallway.**

**Lance stares after her suspiciously, while Hunk peers out from behind "Where is he going?"**   
**The camera changes to show Pidge is on the roof of the Galaxy Garrison, listening to radio chatter through headphones and special equipment. Lance carefully pulls a side of Pidge’s headphones away from her ear, leaning creepily close.**

“Not smart.” Keith said, and Shiro had to agree. Pidge was known to get so absorbed in her tech that when you startled her she lashed out.

**"You come up here to rock out?" Pidge yells and jumps, startled, at Lance’s inquiry.**

**Hunk is shown crawling along the roof, closer to the pair.**

  
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.” Shiro says automatically, glancing at both Hunk and Lance.

Lance scowls. “I didn’t sneak…” Shiro decides to ignore the whining in his tone.

**"Agh!” Pidge jumps and her headphones go flying. “Oh, Lance, Hunk. No, um, just looking at stars."**   
**Lance looks downwards at her suspiciously. "Hey where'd you get this stuff? It doesn't look like Garrison tech."**   
**Hunk sneaks his head up to look around Lance’s shoulder.**   
**"I built it." Pidge answered smugly.**   
**"You built all this?"**   
**Hunk reached for the equipment but Pidge smacks his hand away firmly.**

  
“You don’t want to do that.” Hunk warns his past self feebly.

**"Stop it! With this thing, I can scan all the way to the edge of the solar system." As Pidge speaks, Hunk retracts himself from the line of fire feebly.**

Pidge sighed. “I was so innocent back then. Thinking the edge of a solar system was an accomplishment.”

“Well, with the tech available, it was.” Hunk pointed out.

“Indeed. Resources have always dictated the scope of a species abilities.” Coran agreed.

**Lance strokes his chin thoughtfully. "That Right? All the way to Kerberos?"**   
**Pidge looks down immediately and refuses to respond.**

**"You go ballistic every time the instructors bring it up. What's your deal?" As Lance interrogates Pidge, Hunk attempts to touch the equipment again.**

**"Second warning, Hunk!" Pidge glared as the older teenager huffs.**

  
“Seriously! Stop touching it!” Hunk groans, thinking back to the sting in his hands.

“Dude, you’re talking to a machine.” Lance reprimands.

“It’s soothing!” Hunk justifies.

**"Aw..."**   
**Ignoring Hunk, Lance crosses his arms as he appraises the youngest present. "Look, Pidge, if we're going to bond as a team, we can't have any secrets."**   
**Pidges shoulders drop and she turns her head, resigned. "Fine. The world as you know it is about to change. The Kerberos Mission wasn't lost because of some malfunction or crew mistake—"**   
**As Pidge explains the situation, she suddenly notices Hunk reaching for her gear again.**

**Mouth unhinging at an impossible angle and with clenched fists Pidge roars, "—STOP TOUCHING MY EQUIPMENT!!!”**   
**Hunk groans but ultimately decides he’s pushed his luck too far.**

  
They stare wide eyed at the screen.

Pidge picks innocently at her fingernails.

“And she can get even worse.” Keith points out. Shiro notices that it doesn’t seem to comfort the rest of the team.

Coran begins to mutter about various alien species. Shiro doesn’t catch much, but unearths a few words like ‘unhinged jaw’ and ‘pointy teeth’. He decides he doesn’t want to know.

**"... So I've been scanning the system and picking up alien radio chatter."**   
**Lance looks unconvinced, but Hunk shoots upright in surprise. "Whoa, what? Aliens?!"**

“Back when we were innocent little lambs.” Lance laments, feigning sweetness.

Shiro watches Allura look skeptically at Lance. Clearly she doesn’t believe they were ever innocent, especially Lance and his trouble-making ways.

**"OK, so you're insane. Got it." Lance decides.**   
**"I'm serious!” Pidge insists. “They keep repeating one word: ‘Voltron’.”**   
**Pidge lifts a notepad with the word scrawled across the middle in crayon.**   
**“And tonight, it's going crazier than I have ever heard it."**

“Well done, Pidge.” Allura praises.

“I mean, it isn’t much, knowing what we know now.” Pidge points out, but she looks pleased.

**"How crazy?"**   
**Before Pidge can reply to Lance’s question, alarms blare from the Galaxy Garrison. Iverson begins to address the population across the intercom.**

**"Attention, students. This is not a drill. We are on lockdown! Security situation Zulu Niner. Repeat: All students are to remain in barracks until further notice."**   
**The trio stares at the speaker in confusion.**

  
“I assume you three did not return to your rooms?” Coran infers.

“And lucky we didn’t, too.” Pidge announces. “Otherwise this guy would be a labrat.” She pats Shiro affectionately on his Galra arm. “Or him and Keith would be wasting away in a desert shack.”

“Thanks for the image, Pidge.” Shiro deadpans.

“You’re welcome, kind sir.”

**"What's going on?” Hunk asks, before noticing a fiery object descending from the atmosphere. He points to it dramatically. “Is that a meteor?! ... A very, very big... meteor?"**

**"It's a ship!" Pidge stares out of the binoculars, gaze trained on the sky.**   
**Lance grabs the binoculars, leaving Pidge to yelp and hang from where her hands grasp the device.**

**"Holy crow!” Lance says, and the image changes to show the ship hurtling downward. “I can't believe what I'm seeing! That's not one of ours!"**   
**"No.” Pidge agrees. “It's one of theirs.”**   
**"So wait, there really are aliens out there?!" Hunk asks, wide eyed.**

“Definitely aliens.” Hunk confirms. “With teeth, and claws, and wings and-wait, are there wings?”

Coran opens his mouth to answer but Hunk holds up a hand. “Wait, I don’t want to know.”

**The trio continues to observe as the alien spacecraft crashes into the dessert in the midst of an explosion. Garrison land rovers are immediately dispatched towards the crash site.**

**"We've gotta see that ship!" Pidge decides, grasping her backpack straps in excitement.**   
**"Hunk, come on!" Lance calls as he races after the younger teen.**   
**Hunk pouts. “Oh, this is the worst team-building exercise ever."**

  
**The scene changes to show Lance, Pidge, and Hunk sprawled out on a ledge overlooking the quarantined crash site. Lance is spying on the alien craft through the binoculars.**

**"Whoa... What the heck is that thing?!” Lance’s view strays to land on woman exiting a Garrison base. “...And who the heck is she?"**

Allura rolls her eyes. “I suppose I should have assumed his flirtatious tendencies originated before he exited Earth’s atmosphere.”

Lance sputters in indignation as everyone else nods absentmindedly.

**"Lance!" Pidge chastises, hitting him as penance for his distraction.**

**"Ow!” Lance sighs in resignation. “Ah, right, alien ship. Man, we'll never get past all those guards to get a look."**   
**Hunk takes the opportunity presented. "Aw, man. Yeah, we—yeah I guess there's nothing to do but head back to the barracks, right?"**   
**Just as Hunk stands and turns, Pidge interrupts. "Wait. They set up a camera in there and I grabbed its feed. Look!"**   
**Through the camera feed, Shiro is shown strapped to a table as Garrison technicians examine him.**

  
Shiro watched the rest of the team grit teeth or growl, with hands curling into fists. Keith especially looked murderous.

He clenched his teeth together, trying to keep from launching into a long-winded rant about the Garrison policies. With little authority he repeatedly chanted to himself half thought out reminders. They were following protocol. They didn’t know. It’s not their fault you were kidnapped by a hostile alien race.

But he still wanted to land a least one good hit. With the Galra arm, just to be sure.

**"Hey! What are you doing?" Shiro complained.**   
**Iverson's voice is heard. "Calm down, Shiro. We just need to keep you quarantined until we run some tests on you."**   
**"You have to listen to me!” Shiro grunts as he struggles against the restraints. “They destroy worlds! Aliens are coming!"**

“I don’t believe I understand. They just plan on ignoring a warning of imminent threat to their planet?” Coran asked, bewildered.

Hunk sighed. “Yeah, but I guess you can’t really blame them. I mean, Earth didn’t even know if Aliens existed.” When he saw the looks he was receiving from the others he quickly backtracked. “I mean, these guys are terrible. Inhumane. Definitely should have listened to Shiro.”

**Land points at the monitor. "That's Shiro! The pilot of the Kerberos Mission. That guy's my hero!"**

Shiro scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Uh, thanks?”

Lance blushed, but thankfully didn’t say anything. Shiro wouldn’t know how to react.

**"Guess he's not dead in space after all." Hunk points out.**   
**Pidge, however, is preoccupied. "Where's the rest of the crew?"**   
**"Do you know how long you've been gone?" Iverson asks.**   
**"I don't know. Months? Years?” Shiro looks around at the scientists in desperation.**   
**“Look, there's no time. Aliens are coming here for a weapon. They're probably on their way. They'll destroy us! We have to find Voltron!"**

“Well, more like you have to find Blue.” Lance interrupted. “But whatever.”

**"Voltron!" Pidge exclaims in realization.**   
**One of the technicians turns to Iverson. "Sir, take a look at this. It appears his arm has been replaced with a cyborg prosthetic." The camera zoomed in on Shiro’s arm to show his fingers curled into a tight fist.**

“No, you don’t say.” Pidge snorted. “What acute observation skills.”

**"Put him under until we know what that thing can do." Iverson order’s decidedly.**   
**Shiro’s frantic protests are ignored. "Don't, don't be me under! No! No, there's no time! Let me go!"**   
**"They didn't ask about the rest of the crew." Pidge whispers.**

“That’s just the way they operate.” Keith said. “No regard for anything but the mission.”

Shiro frowned. There was a way Keith was talking. As though he wasn’t really thinking about the way the Garrison operated. But no one said anything, and the video resumed. Stealing away Shiro’s attention.

**"What are they doing?” Lance asks suddenly in disbelief. “The guy's a legend. They're not even gonna listen to him?"**   
**"We have to get him out." Pidge say’s firmly.**

Shiro bumped his arm against hers in a thankful gesture. She shrugged, and Shiro guessed that she was imagining countless sarcastic comments, before ultimately deciding none were warranted at that moment.

**Hunk interrupts before Pidge’s line of thought can continue. "Ah, I hate to be the voice of reason here, always, but weren't we just watching on TV because there was no way to get past the guards?"**   
**"That was before we were properly motivated.” Lance disagrees. “We've just got to think. Could we tunnel in?"**

“Glad to be proper motivation.” Shiro commented.

**"Maybe we could get some hazmat suits and sneak in like med techs." Pidge suggests excitedly.**   
**“Or we dress up like cooks, sneak into the commissary... little late-night snack." Hunk finishes hopefully.**

Most of them laughed. “Good try, Hunk.” Allura praised, grinning.

**Lance stares at him for a moment. "... No. What we need is a distraction."**   
**Sudden explosions burst in the distance and the three cadets scream in alarm.**

**Hunk immediately panics. "Is that the aliens?! Are—Tha—The—Is that the aliens?! Are they here?! They got here so quick!"**   
**"No. Those explosions were a distraction, for him!" Pidge points out an approaching hovercraft.**

  
“It’s Keith!” Pidge, Lance, and Hunk cry.

“You were there the first time, you already know it’s Keith.” Shiro reminds them.

“Yeah…” Lance agrees. “But…”

Lance shrugs, apparently unable to decide why they felt the need to yell out their teammates name.

**"The Garrison's headed towards the blast, and he's sneaking in from the other side!" Pidge realizes, as Lance tracks the new arrival with the binoculars.**

**"No way...! Oh, he is not going to beat us in there!” Lance decides as they watch Keith appraise the situation from behind a boulder. “That guy is always trying to one-up me!"**

Keith’s eyebrows raise as he glances in Lance’s direction. Lance turns away to hide a blush.

**Hunk raises a finger to garner attention. "Who is it?"**   
**"Keith!" Lance shouts as he runs.**   
**"Who?" Pidge asks, already adjusting the straps on her backpack.**   
**Hunk’s already in pursuit of Lance. "Are you sure?"**   
**“Oh, I'd recognize that mullet anywhere!" Lance answers, ignoring Pidge.**   
**"Who's Keith?!"**

“Well, I know now.”

**The three slide down a slope and run towards the quarantined crash site, where the technicians continue to examine Shiro.**

**"These readings are off the chart." One technician announces, before he is interrupted by the doors sliding open to reveal Keith. The camera zooms in to focus on Keith’s striking eyes, glinting purple and filled with purpose.**

  
“Get ‘em!” Pidge cheered.

“Dude, seriously, there’s something freaky about his eyes.” Lance confides in Hunk.

“Thanks Keith.” Shiro tells his dark haired friend. Keith glances at him.

“Yeah. No problem.”

**"Hey!" Iverson protests.**   
**Keith immediately slides into a defensive position, easily kicking the first opponent into a metal cart, throwing the second over their supplies, and knocking out the final man with a well timed punch.**

“Good form!” Coran praised happily.

“It’s just a few scientists.” Lance pointed out. “No biggie.”

**He then races to Shiro’s side, pulling down the bandana around his lower face and tilting Shiro’s head to face him. Keith’s eyes widen. "Shiro...?"**

Shiro eyes the vulnerable glint in the back of Keith’s eyes on screen. It’s familiar. Shiro can recall the same unsure purple orbs staring at him when they first met, and in the months that followed.

They’re still able cause his insides to clench in alarm.

**Keith pulls out his knife to free Shiro from his restraints and is about to carry the older man out, when he is interrupted by the arrival of Lance, Hunk, and Pidge.**

**"Nope. No you—No, no, no, no, no, no, no you don't.” Lance pushed the gurney out of his way. “I'm saving Shiro." He pulls Shiro’s other arm around his shoulders.**

  
“Two knights in shining armour fighting over who gets to save a Shiro in distress.” Pidge comments offhandedly.

Keith and Lance both pointedly stare directly at the TV.

**"Who are you?" Keith asks.**   
**"Who am I? Uh, the name's Lance."**   
**Keith stares at him silently without any sign of recognition.**

  
“Seriously! You should have recognized me.” Lance complains.

**Lance stares back, blinking."... We were at the same class at the Garrison?"**   
**"Really? Are you an engineer?" Keith asks, trying to place him.**   
**"No, I'm a pilot. We were, like, rivals. You know, Lance and Keith, neck-and-neck." Lance stares into the distance imagining the scenario.**

Hunk and Pidge both shake their heads in denial at the confused Alteans.

**"Oh wait, I remember you. You're a cargo pilot." Keith decides.**   
**"Well, not anymore.” Lance disagrees proudly. “I'm fighter class now thanks to you washing out."**

“You’ve progressed to a substantial amount more than a ‘fighter pilot’ at this point.” Allura tells Lance, who looks pleased.

**"Well, congratulations." Keith says, unbothered.**   
**Lance and Keith continue carry Shiro out together, as Hunk spots the Garrison returning through the binoculars.**

**"Oh, man, they're coming back and they do not look happy.” Hunk and Pidge follow Lance, Keith, and Shiro to Keith’s hovercraft. “We gotta go. Uh, do you mind if we catch a ride with you?"**

Shiro stares at the scene. He remembers his own hovercraft, and can’t help but recall the weight limit. “You do realize-”

“We know.” Keith, Pidge, Hunk, and Lance say immediately.

Shiro frowns.

**They all climb aboard Keith’s craft and it tips with the weight.**

**"Is this thing going to be big enough for all of us?" Pidge eyes the compromised position of the hovercraft doubtfully.**   
**"No." Keith answers shortly. He then speeds away as the Garrison pursues them.**

  
“Thanks for that Keith.” Hunk said, addressing his half-Galra teammate. “Really reassuring.”

“You’re welcome.” Keith answers seriously.

**Pidge finds herself grabbing Shiro to keep him on board. "Why am I holding this guy?"**

“Um. Well, I suppose I’m kind of glad I held onto you now.” Pidge announces.

“But seriously,” Lance interrupts. “How did Pidge end up with that job?”

“Yeah, both you and Keith were fighting over Shiro just a bit ago.” Hunk agreed.

“Okay, why don’t we just settle down and continue watching?” Allura asked as Lance spluttered and Keith scowled.

**"Hey, we did all fit!" Hunk says happily.**   
**"Can't this thing go any faster?" Lance complains.**   
**"We could toss out some non-essential weight." Keith suggests blandly.**   
**"Oh, right!” Lance looks around to find anything to be tossed out before he realizes the implications of Lance’s comment. “OK, so that was an insult. I get it."**

Everyone except for Lance laughed.

“Yeah, okay. Hilarious. I get it.” Lance said, crossing his arms across his chest.

**"Big man, lean left!" Keith says suddenly.**   
**Hunk complies and the Hovercraft turns, the Garrison rovers crashing as they follow.**

**“Aw man! Mr. Harris just wiped out Professor Montgomery! ... No, no, he's fine." Hunk’s commentary is interrupted as Keith eyes their direction.**   
**"Big man, lean right!"**

“You know, you were in class with Hunk too. You should have remembered his name.” Pidge commented.

“Yeah! Seriously, you are awful with names.” Lance agreed.

Keith sighed. “Are you guys going to keep stopping this, or are we going to watch?”

**Hunk does, and the hovercraft descends over a chasm and settles above a different road. More pursuing rover’s crash as Hunk spies an upcoming cliff.**

  
**"Guys? Is th-th-th-tha-tha—Is that a cliff up ahead?"**   
**"Ooooh no, no, no! No, no, no, no—!" Everyone protests loudly.**   
**Keith leans forward smirking as they approach the edge. "Yup."**

  
Shiro, Allura, and Coran laugh, while Pidge, Hunk, and Lance loo far less amused.

“He could have killed us! That so isn’t funny.” Lance reprimands.

Keith rolls his eyes. “I knew what I was doing.”

Shiro thinks back to when he and Keith were racing when they were younger and he went over a cliff the same way the Keith in the video had. He couldn’t help but smiling proudly. Looks like, Keith had listened to him as some point.

**"What are you doing?! You're going to kill us all!" Lance shouts as they plummet downward.**   
**"Shut up and trust me!" Keith yells, before safely avoiding a crash.**

“Well, they didn’t have much of a choice. They were already on the craft.” Coran pointed out.

“And Shiro was unconscious. He didn’t have any choice at all.”

“Let’s just say we trusted Keithy, and leave this a sweet moment.” Pidge said.

**Without fear of the Garrison following, Keith is able to fly easily through the desert.**

**The scene then shifts to show Shiro standing outside a desert shack staring at the sunrise. Keith approaches from behind, laying a hand on Shiro’s shoulder.**

**"It's good to have you back." Keith tells him.**

Shiro withheld a wince. Sure, he knew it wasn’t his fault that the Galra kidnapped him, Sam, and Matt. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel that Keith being alone and getting expelled from the Garrison was on him.

**Shiro smiles. "Heh. It's good to be back."**   
**"So what happened out there?” Keith removes his hand. “Where... were you?"**

“In the custody of needy, power hungry, idiotic Galra.”

“Thanks Pidge.” Keith said, bordering on sarcasm.

“I didn’t mean you.”

**Shiro grimaces. "I wish I could tell you. My head's still pretty scrambled. I was on an... alien ship but... somehow I escaped. It's all a blur. How did you know to come save me when I crashed?"**   
**"You should come see this." Keith says, leading Shiro back into the shack. Inside, Keith shows Shiro, and consequently Lance, Hunk, and Pidge his board of maps, diagrams, and notes.**

  
“You gathered all that information, Number 4?” Coran asked.

Keith shrugged. “A lot of downtime in the desert.”

“Well, maybe if someone hadn’t lived in the middle of nowhere, they would have a little more to do with their time.” Pidge reprimanded.

**"What have you been working on?" Shiro asks in surprise.**   
**"I can't explain it, really.” Keith said. “After getting booted from the Garrison, I was kinda... lost and... felt myself drawn out to this place. It's like something... some energy, was telling me to search."**

“You know, It’s kind of weird. Keith was originally the Paladin of the Red Lion. Then the Black Lion. He never really had any connection with Blue.” Lance pointed out.

“Yeah, so why did Keith figure out Blue’s location?” Pidge asked. “I mean, the Garrison wasn’t that far away from where Keith was hiding out. Blue could have reached out to Lance instead.”

Allura frowned, exchanging looks with Coran.

He twirled his mustache with one hand. “It’s true, the Blue Lion had a better connection with Lance from the start than any other on Earth. However, in addition to the connection between a paladin and their lion, the lions themselves have a strong connection with each other. Perhaps, the Red Lion was able to impress his **(AN: Sorry, don’t know whether to call Red a boy or a girl, since Keith and Lance refer to both genders at different point)** chosen human onto the Blue Lion.”

“Still, why did Blue just automatically go for Keith? Why didn’t Green, or Yellow call out for Pidge or Hunk?” Shiro asked. “Or, like Pidge said, why didn’t Blue just pick Lance?”

Allura hummed in thought. “Well, perhaps we’re just thinking too far into this. The Blue Lion was stranded closest to Keith, and Keith was the one actively searching the area. Maybe that, combined with Red’s influence, resulted in Blue connecting with Keith first, in order to obtain an outside interaction of any kind.”

“Does it really matter?” Keith asked. “We found our Lion’s in the end.”

“Keith’s right.” Lance decided.

“Besides,” Hunk added. “Maybe Keith’s just got some weird alien heritage thing that let him pick up on Lion vibes.”

“That actually-” Pidge began.

“How about we just get back to watching?” Shiro asked.

**"For what?" Shiro asked.**   
**"Well, I didn't really know at the time... until I stumbled across this area.” Keith pointed to a spot on the map. “It's an outcropping of giant boulders with caves covered in these ancient markings. Each tells a slightly different story about a blue lion, but they all share clues leading to some event, some arrival happening last night. Then you showed up."**   
**Keith looked to Shiro who glanced around the room. "... I should... thank you all for getting me out. Lance, right?"**

“He also goes by the Tailor, apparently.” Pidge added.

“Pidge!” Lance hissed.

**Shiro offers Lance his prosthetic hand to shake and after some hesitation Lance grasps it with his own.**

**Hunk is too shaken to take the offering, however Pidge reaches out with her own hand. "The nervous guy's Hunk. I'm Pidge. So, did anyone else from your crew make it out?"**

“That makes so much more sense now. All those questions and different obsessions you had.” Hunk declares, glancing over at Pidge.

**Shiro looks away. "I'm not sure. I remember the mission and being captured. After that, it's just bits and pieces."**   
**Hunk intervenes before the line of conversation can continue. "Yeah, sorry to interrupt, but back to the aliens. Where are they now? Are they coming? Are they coming for all of us? Like where are they at this very moment?"**   
**Shiro looks unsure. "I can't really put it together. I-I remember the word "Voltron". It's some kind of weapon they're looking for, but I don't know why. Whatever it is, I think we need to find it before they do."**

“And it’s a good thing you did.” Allura stated. “I shudder to think of what would have become of the universe had the Galra obtained Voltron.”

“I think we all do, Princess.” Coran agreed.

**Hunk is then shown going through Pidge’s backpack. "Well last night, I was rummaging through Pidge's stuff, and I found this picture. Look it's his girlfriend."**

Pidge reached over and smacked Hunk on his beefy upper arm. “That’s for going through my stuff without permission!”

“Hey!” Hunk protested.

“I don’t know, dude. You kind of deserved that one.” Lance said.

**Hunk then holds up a picture for everyone to look at, featuring a similar looking girl and boy.**

  
Shiro noticed Allura frown, and braced himself for the inevitable comment. “But isn’t that-”

“Matt, yeah.” Pidge agreed. “Genius over there couldn’t tell us apart.”

“To be fair, you guys look almost identical when you’re wearing the glasses.” Hunk defended.

**Pidge immediately yanks the photo from his grasp. "Hey, gimme that! What were you doing in my stuff?"**   
**"I wa—I was looking for a candy bar. But then, I started reading his diary." Hunk reached into the backpack to grab Pidge’s diary.**

Pidge reached over to hit the yellow paladin again, and honestly, Shiro found himself surprisingly sympathetic to her in the situation. He decided he’d step in if Hunk started to bruise.

**"WHAT?!" Pidge yells in shock at the revelation. Pidge seizes the small book and holds it protectively to her chest.**

**Hunk continues unbothered. "And I noticed that the repeating series of numbers the aliens are searching for looks a lot like a fraunhofer line."**   
**"Frown... who?" Keith asked, arms crossed.**

“Seriously, Mullet? You don’t know what a frownhofer line is? Talk about disappointing.”

“Pff, Lance, you don’t even remember.” Pidge said, before Keith could say anything.

“What? Of course I do!” Lance protested.

“Uhuh.” Pidge said unimpressed. “Explain. It.”

Lance bit his lip. “Um, it’s a line on a...graph...thingy...and the ups and downs and stuff represent the measurement of a…” Lance began to mumble incoherently.

Pidge snorted, and rested back against the couch. “Aaand we’re done here.”

**"It's a number describing the emission spectrum of an element, only this element doesn't exist on Earth. I thought it might be this Voltron, and I think I can build a machine to look for it, kinda like a Voltron Geiger Counter." Explained Hunk.**   
**"Hunk, you big, gassy genius!" Lance praised.**   
**"It's pretty fascinating, really. Th-The wavelength looks like this." Hunk holds up a graph showing the wavelength.**

**"Give me that." Keith promptly snagged the graph from Hunks grasp and holds it up to a picture showing an array of boulders. By comparing them it’s easily seen that the wavelength matches the shape of the boulders.**

“You know, Keith, you could have just asked.” Hunk pointed out.

Keith frowned in confusion. “But my way was faster.”

Lance released a long suffering sigh.

**The team arrives at the location of the boulders with Hunk’s new device scanning the area.**

  
**"... OK. I admit it. This is super freaky." Lance said.**

“Scratch that.” Lance corrected. “We’ve seen worse.”

“And there’s still more to come!” Coran said reassuringly, either not noticing or not caring about the grim expressions following his declaration.

**Hunk ignores him. "I'm getting a reading." He used the device to locate a cave, which the group entered wearily. Inside the walls are covered with ancient carvings.**

**"What are these?" Shiro asks.**   
**"These are the lion carvings I was telling you about.” Keith said. “They're everywhere around here."**   
**Lance approached a carving and gently traced his fingers around the image, causing all of them to light up. Everyone gasped as they stared at the glowing walls.**

**"Whoa... Whoa!" Lance uttered in surprise.**   
**"They've never done that before." Keith says unsurely.**

“See? I guess that even though the Blue Lion originally was able to communicate with Keith, she still held out for her correct Paladin.” Pidge said. “That’s actually sort of sweet.”

“Yeah, Red’s influence could only go so far.” Hunk agreed.

Lance shifted awkwardly.

**A glowing circle of ground collapses beneath them and the team falls, screaming, out of a rocky tunnel into a cavern of water. Lance is the first to prop himself up onto his knees and he gasps at the sight of the Blue Lion inside a glowing force field.**

  
“Your first lion.” Allura murmured.

**"They are everywhere." Lance says, still staring at the mechanical beast.**   
**"Is this it?” Pidge asks in wonder. “Is this the Voltron?"**   
**"It... must be." Shiro decides.**

“Not quite! But a wonderful start!” Coran announces.

“We know that now.” Lance grumbled.

**"This is what's been causing all this crazy energy out here." Keith approaches the Blue Lion, the rest of the team following slowly.**

**"Looks like there's a force field around it." Keith points out.**

“No, really?” Pidge asked sarcastically. “Who would have thought?”

Keith frowned. “I did.”

“...Keith, we’re going to work on this.” Pidge promises, looking over at him solemnly.

Shiro grins and silently commends her for trying. He attempted to help Keith with sarcasm for years, and they still hadn’t made much progress.

**Lance walks in an odd fashion, moving diagonally before switching direction. "Does anyone else get the feeling this is staring at them?"**   
**"Hmm…” Shiro considers. “No."**

“The Blue Lion was communicating with you alone, Lance.” Allura told him.

“Seriously, I know that now!” Lance repeated.

Allura smiled apologetically. “I suppose you do. I shall refrain from similar comments in the future.”

Lance looked taken aback. “I mean, if you really have something to say to me, that is, you don’t have too-”

“Would you guys stop interrupting?” Keith asked again, exasperatedly.

**"Yeah. The eyes are totally following me." Lance decides, turning his head back and forth. Keith reaches the force field and touches it with no reaction.**

**"I wonder how we get through this." Keith murmurs, prodding the field.**   
**"Maybe you just have to knock." Lance approaches the force field and rapps it with his fist. He then yelps as the Blue Lion’s eyes glow strengthens and the force field dissipates, igniting the surrounding area in blue as the team yells. The image of the five Lions forming Voltron appears in the groups minds and they’re left shocked.**

  
“It’s just as amazing as ever.” Hunk decides. “Kind of sickening to think about being in Yellow during that, but really amazing.”

**"Woah..." Everyone with the exception of Hunk shouts.**   
**"Uh, did everyone just see that?" Lance asks.**   
**"Voltron is a robot!” Hunk exclaims. “Voltron is a huge, huge, awesome robot!"**   
**"And this thing is only one part of it!” Pidge adds. “I wonder where the rest of them are."**   
**"This is what they're looking for." Shiro states, staring upwards at the Lion.**   
**"Incredible." Keith says, as the Blue Lion lowers its head to the ground and opens its mouth to allow them access to her inside, successfully terrifying both Pidge and Hunk. Lance hesitates before chuckling and gleefully entering the cockpit.**

  
“I wonder,” Pidge begins, “Was it an actual subconscious message that prompted Lance to run into the Lion, or was it just Lance’s idiotic curiosity?”

“Hey!”

**"Here we go." Lance lounges in the chair momentarily. As Lance rests, the seat suddenly jolts forward. The teenager screams as he is jostled and the command console activates.**

  
Shiro can’t help but chuckle along with everyone else, even of Lance burrows further into his seat as protest.

“...It’s not funny.”

**Lance recovers swiftly as the rest of the team approaches from behind. "Heheh! Alright! Very nice!"**   
**Hunk decides to speak up."OK guys, I-I feel the need to point out, just so that we're all, y'know, aware: We are in some kind of futuristic alien cat head right now."**

  
“Don’t tell Yellow I said that.”

“No promises, big guy.” Lance teased.

**Lance suddenly freezes, sensing the Blue Lion communicating with him. "Whoa, did you guys just hear that?"**   
**"Hear what?" Keith asks, answering Lance’s question in the process.**   
**"I-I think it's talking to me.” Lance leaned forward to examine the control console.**

“You realize how insane that sounded, right?” Pidge asks him.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if it was you and Green.” Lance argues.

“Seriously guys, interruptions.”

“You didn’t even want to watch this at the beginning, Keith.” Pidge huffed, but quieted and let the video play.

**“Hmm... Um..." He presses a few buttons experimentally and the Blue Lion stands up, literally roaring to life. Hunk and Pidge scream in response.**

  
Lance grins. “You know how insane that made yo-”

“Lance!” Shiro reprimanded. Sure, it was okay to have a few smart remarks throughout the video, and M had expected them to talk. But Keith had a point. There was a lot of footage to get through, and they did need to watch it at a reasonable pace. Otherwise it would be forever till they got out of here.

**"OK. Got it. Now let's try this." Lance grabs the controls and the Blue Lion smashes out of the cavern, taking off flying through the air. Lance puts the mechanical lion through wild somersaults and turns, terrifying the team. Hunk and Pidge scream again.**

**"YOU ARE. THE WORST. PILOT. EVER." Keith yells, as he and the rest of the team grasp anything in their surroundings in an effort to stay upright.**

  
“You did fly them off a cliff, Number 4.” Coran pointed out.

“That’s different.” Keith denied. “I knew what I was doing.”

“So did I!” Lance said.

“You had never even seen a Voltron Lion before.” Pidge reminded him. Lance didn’t respond.

**Back at the Galaxy Garrison, Iverson is shown asking a guard,"What in the Sam Hill is that?"**   
**"It appears to be a flying blue lion, sir." The guard answers, lowering a pair of binoculars.**   
**Iverson looks unimpressed at the guards response as the Blue Lion lands and runs along the desert at high speed.**

  
Pidge, Lance, and Hunk began to laugh. “Look at Iverson's face!” Pidge cried. “A ‘flying blue lion’.”

**"Isn't this awesome?!" Lance yells excitedly.**   
**"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Hunk shouts, tears in the corner of his eyes.**

“You know, I’m proud of you buddy.” Lance said, clapping a hand on Hunk’s shoulder. “You’ve come a long way when it comes to space and any other type of travel.”

“We should celebrate.” Pidge agrees slyly. “I mean, we do have an Earth kitchen and ingredients now-”

“Oh man, this is going to be so great! I’m going to make every recipe I can remember.”

Shiro sighs at the thought. Hunk had done a great job with the ingredients they found in space, but it wasn’t the same as the food he had grown up with. All the time travelling with Voltron and on his Kerberos mission had made him hungry for Earth food.

**"I'm not making it do anything. It's like it's on autopilot!" Lance says in amazement as the Blue Lion takes off into the sky.**

**"Where are you going?!" Keith shouted to be heard over the rest of the team and the sound the Blue Lion generated.**

“Lance had not properly bonded with his Lion quite yet at that time. It would perhaps have felt that Blue had better control. Especially since Blue wished for you five to join us at the Castle of Lions.” Allura explained.

**"I just said it's on autopilot! It says there's an alien ship approaching Earth. I think we're supposed to stop it." Lance explained.**   
**"What did it say, exactly?!" Pidge asked tersely.**   
**"Well, it's not like it's saying words, more like feeding ideas into my brain.” Lance said, pointing to his head to emphasize his point. “Kind of."**

“Veeeery comforting.” Pidge snarks.

“Well how the heck would you have described it!”

“Something along the lines of ‘through unexplained circumstances I’ve acquired a connection with a variation of an artificial intelligence ingrained in the Lion’. Or, in layman terms, ‘the Lion is telepathically communicating with me through the universal art of pictionary’.”

“Oh.” Lance said, at a loss.

**"Well, if this thing is the weapon they're coming for, why don't we just, like—I don't know, give it to them? Maybe they'll leave us alone.” Hunk seems to realize where he’s standing, and hastily tacts on, “Sorry, Lion, nothing personal."**

Allura sighed and said rather testily, “Thankfully, you did not take that approach.”

“Uh, sorry? Again?” Hunk’s winning smile faltered.

**"You don't understand.” Shiro says seriously. “These monsters spread like a plague throughout the galaxy, destroying everything in their path. There's no bargaining with them. They won't stop until everything is dead."**

**Everyone stares challengingly at Hunk. "... Oh. Never mind then."**

**The Blue Lion roars as it leaves the Earth’s atmosphere and a warship from the Galra Empire appears, it’s course imminent with Earth. The team gasps in alarm at the sudden revelation.**

  
“I can’t believe we reacted like we did now.” Keith said, shaking his head. “One Galra ship in comparison to all we’ve seen…”

A grin spread across Lance’s face. “Now look who’s interrupting, Mullet!”

“What does my hair have to do with this?”

“A whole quiznacking lot!”

“That is not how you use that word.”

“It totally is! Shiro!” Lance complained. Shiro himself felt his headache grow, and a quite purple flash seemed to flicker in his vision. He shook his head, and squeezed his eyes shut then open, only to find six concerned faces staring at him.

“Shiro?” Keith asked hesitantly.

Shiro plastered a fake smile over his face to try and help block out the dull throbbing behind his eye. “Yeah, sorry, just an eyelash.”

“Did your mascara clump them together?” Pidge asked innocently.

Shiro rolled his eyes. “Let’s get back to the video.”

Allura nodded in agreement. “Shiro is correct.”

**"Uh... Holy crow! Is that really an alien ship?!" Hunk asks, but no one answers, being too preoccupied staring out the window.**   
**"They found me..." Shiro said quietly, and the Galra warship opens fire.**

  
“Uh, I think they were actually looking for Blue.” Pidge pointed out. “Of course, they might have just found Blue incidentally after following your trail. In fact, if they had reached the Lion before us, Red and Blue would have been in the hands of the Galra, and we never would have found Allura and Coran. Or the rest of the Lions. The universe would just continue to face complete annihilation by the hands of the Galra, and it would have been completely Shiro’s fault.”

They all stared at her.

“Okay, seriously, who’s side are you on?” Lance asked.

**"We've got to get it out of here!" Pidge screams as purple lasers zoom by.**   
**"Hang on!" Lance shouts in reply. He begins to pilot the Lion, dodging the onslaught of enemy fire.**

  
“I’m amazing.” Lance comments, winking flirtatiously at Allura.

Keith rolls his eyes. “I thought Blue was in charge.”

Lance glared at him.

**"Ah! Alright! OK, I think I know what to do!" Lance yells.**   
**"Be careful, man! This isn't a simulator!" Pidge pops out from behind to glare at him harshly and imploringly.**   
**"Well, that's good. I always wreck the simulator." Lance says reassuringly.**

“Oh fantastic! If you were in the simulator you would be in trouble.” Coran announces.

Pidge sighs. “With Lance behind any wheel we’d be in trouble.”

“Not true.” Hunk denies. “He’s not half bad when it comes to video games.”

“You guys are awful.” Lance said. “I’m amazing behind any kind of control.”

**Lance uses the Blue Lion’s mouth cannon to blast the length of the warship.**

“See!”

“I see Blue doing a lot of work.” Pidge agrees blandly. Lance slumps over, defeated.

**"Let's try this." Lance pulls back the controls and the Blue Lions claws rip through the warship’s side effortlessly.**

  
“You did a good job, Lance.” Shiro praises.

Lance perks up. “Well, just another day on the job.”

**"Nice job, Lance!" Shiro praises adamantly.**

Shiro notices Lance’s grin widen, and he frowned. Lance really seemed to react to what the others were saying. It wasn’t something he expected from the teenager who always clowned around.

**"OK, I think it's time to get these guys away from our planet." Lance answers. Unknown to him, inside the warship, the same Galra commander that captured Shiro and his team a year ago addresses Zarkon through a video transmission.**

  
“This guy again.” Pidge growls. “I hope he dies bloody.”

Shiro turns to stare at the youngest. She glares angrily at the screen, and Shiro feels something tugging at his chest. They aren’t the same group that boarded the Blue Lion. Pidge had changed. They had all changed.

**"Lord Zarkon, the escaped prisoner and his people found the Lion. It attacked us and is heading out of the system." The commander reported.**   
**"Follow that Lion and alert all ships in the area to intercept. Capturing that Lion is your first and only priority." Zarkon ordered.**   
**"Yes, your Majesty. Full power after the Lion!" The Galra ship pursues the Blue Lion.**

**"Oh, no!" Hunk complains as the team notices the ship.**

“That about sums up the situation.” Coran agrees cheerfully.

“Do you ever have anything negative to say?” Pidge asks him.

Coran grins as he answers. “Of course!”

Pidge groans.

**"They're gaining on us!" Pidge warns.**   
**"It's weird.” Lance said. “They're not trying to shoot us. Th-They're just chasing."**   
**"OK, seriously, now we think having aliens follow us is good?” Hunk asks exasperatedly. “I am not on board with this new direction, guys."**   
**"Where are we?" Keith asks, diverting the direction of the conversation from Hunk’s worries.**

“In a futuristic mechanical cat head.” Pidge answer’s matter of factly, copying Hunk's earlier words. 

Hunk sighs. “I’m regretting that comment.”

**"Edge of the solar system. There's Kerberos." Shiro points out.**   
**"It takes months for our ships to get out this far. We got out here in five seconds." Pidge says in disbelief.**

  
Allura frowns. “How long are months in Altean time?”

Shiro thinks about it. “A few spicolian movements.”

“So about a phoeb.” Pidge adds. “Approximately.”

Coran’s jaw dropped. “It took you multiple phoebs to get to the edge of your solar system?”

“Yeah, tech was pretty sad in comparison to what we’ve come across out here.” Pidge explains.

“Still, multiple phoebs-”

“Well, we can’t change it now.” Hunk pointed out. “I mean, unless we go to Earth. I guess then we can change it.”

“Which we can’t do unless we finish watching this without interruptions.” Shiro reminded him, and everyone else. No one spoke, waiting for the show to resume.

**The sudden appearance of a swirling wormhole comes into view. "What is that?!" Hunk yells in alarm.**   
**"Uh, this may seem crazy, but I think the Lion wants us to go through there." Lance announces.**   
**"Where does it go?" Pidge asks, staring at Lance doubtfully.**   
**"I-I don't know.” Lance turns to address Shiro. “Shiro, you're the senior officer here. What should we do?"**

“You just didn’t want to have to choose by yourself.” Pidge accused.

“Would you?” Lance fired back.

Pidge opened her mouth, probably prepared to answer with some witty retort. But she froze, seeming to actually think it over before she answered. “That’s why I’m paired with the Green Lion, dummy. It’s the Black Paladin who has to deal with all the weight on their shoulders.”

Pidge winced. She turned to Shiro and Keith. “No offence. Either of you.”

“None taken.” Shiro answered.

“It’s fine.” Keith agreed.

But Pidge’s words echoed in Shiro’s thoughts. It was true, the Black Paladin was the head, and leader, of Voltron. That came with a lot of responsibility. A lot of tough calls. Shiro had known that Keith would have a difficult time dealing with those choices, but he never really thought too deeply about how it would affect him.

He knew Keith would be the best successor. The most capable. But he hadn’t ever wondered if Keith was ready for the responsibility, and the weight that came with it. Shiro shook his head.

**"Whatever's happening, the Lion knows more than we do. I say we trust it, but we're a team now.” Shiro states firmly. “We should decide together."**

**The team exchanged glances until Lance broke the silence. "... All right. Guess we're all ditching class tomorrow." The Blue Lion enters the Wormhole which closes behind them before the Galra can follow.**

  
Hunk shook his head. “We skipped class a lot anyway. They probably didn’t even notice we were gone the first few days.”

He said it jokingly, but Shiro wondered. How long did it take for different people to notice that the other four paladins had disappeared? How long until their family realized they were missing? Keith lived in the dessert. Did anyone even notice he was gone? Shiro wondered what was worse, to be missed, or to not.

**The team groans from the turbulence of the Wormhole and finally exit in a different part of the universe.**

**The team stares out the window blankly. "Whoa. That was..." Lance is interrupted by Hunk leaning over and vomiting.**

**"So sorry—" He apologizes before continuing to vomit.**

  
Pidge slammed her hands onto her knees, drawing her legs up to her chest and resting her chin against her thighs. “We’re still having that food party.”

“Of course!” Hunk looked scandalized at the thought of not wasting food for a somewhat celebratory reason.

**"I'm just surprised it took this long." Pidge declared.**   
**"I don't recognize any of these constellations. We must be a long, long way from Earth." Shiro figures.**

Keith nudged him with his shoulder. “...So you seriously memorized every constellation nearby our solar system just on the off chance you would one day need to know all of them?”

Shiro shifted. He reached over flicked Keith on the arm. “Weren’t you just complaining about interruptions?”

“You were too!” Keith cried.

“Both of you shush up.” Pidge ordered.

**"The Lion seems to want to go to this planet. I think... I think it's going home." Lance says, as the Blue Lion blasts toward Arus, entering its atmosphere. The team huddles forward against the intense turbulence.**

  
“Home…” Allura murmured. Coran reached over to pat her comfortingly on the shoulder.

**"Guys, personal space!” Lance chastises. “Hunk, your breath is killing me."**   
**"Um, is it just me or is anyone else having second thoughts about flying through a mysterious Wormhole? Why are we listening to a robotic lion anyway?" Hunk points out.**   
**"It got us away from that alien warship, didn't it?" Lance argued.**

“That is a very good point.” Pidge allowed. “You know, Lance accidentally has more of those than I ever thought he did.”

“Accidentally? Maybe I just actually have good ideas?”

Pidge shook her head and patted Lance on the cheek condescendingly. “Believe what you must little human.”

“You’re the shortest here.”

**"I don't know if you noticed, but we're in an alien warship.” Keith remarked helpfully.**

“Keith’s point is better.” Hunk decides.

Pidge nods. “I think you might be right.”

“Okay, you know what? Keith might be onto something with this no interruption thing.” Lance says pointedly.

Shiro sighs. It’s going to be a long day. Or week. Or maybe month. Who knows how long this was going to take.

**"Oh, are you scared?" Lance teased.**   
**"With you at the helm? Terrified." Keith snarked in reply.**   
**"All right, knock it off!” Shiro interrupted responsibly.**

“That is why Shiro’s in charge.” Allura tells them.

Shiro can’t help the warm feeling the rises in his chest when no one disagrees.

**“No one's happy to be in this situation, but we're here now. If we want to get through this, we've got to do it together."**   
**"So, what do we do?" Pidge asked.**   
**"First, we find out where we're headed.” Shiro directed his attention to the teenager at the controls. “Lance?"**   
**"I don't know. I'm sorry. The Lion's not talking to me anymore…” Lance’s expression changes. “Wait! Wait, wait, wait! Shh! Listen. I think I hear something." A high-pitched squeal sounds.**

  
“Ugh, Lance, seriously?” Pidge shakes her head.

“Not cool, man.” Hunk agrees.

“What is it?” Allura asks.

**"I'm hearing it, too." Keith announces.**   
**"It's, uh—It's kind of a—a high-pitched squeal?" Hunk realizes. Lance smirks and the team holds their noses in disgust.**

**"Come on, Lance!" Shiro, Keith, and Hunk reprimand.**

**Everyone shakes their head in disapproval.**

**"But seriously, there's a Castle up ahead." At Lance’s words, everyone looks on amazed as the Blue Lion approaches the Castle of Lions and the latent Castleship reactiviates.**

“The first time we saw the Castle.” Keith reminisces.

“Interruptions!” Lance cries dramatically.

Keith groans.

**The Blue Lion lands elegantly in the courtyard.**

**"Wow." Keith mutters.**   
**"Keep your guard up." Shiro warns everyone.**   
**"Something wrong?" Pidge inquires.**   
**"My crew was captured by aliens once. I'm not going to let it happen again." Shiro promises.**

Shiro frowns. There were a lot of times when he was almost unable to fulfill that declaration.

**The team exists the Blue Lion’s mouth, and it succeeds in startling everyone by standing up.**

**"Oh no! Oh no! I knew it was going to eat us! No!" Hunk cries, proceeding to take cover behind Shiro when the Lion roars. He stays in his spot until the Castle Ship’s doors slide open.**

“Only you would automatically think about something eating you.” Lance says fondly.

Hunk crosses his arms over his chest. “It was a strange giant replica of a lion! Thinking it was going to eat us is completely normal!” Hunk paused, before hastily adding, “Don’t tell Yellow I said that either. Or Blue. Or any of them actually.”

**"Oh, the door is open. Guess I was wrong about you." Hunk addresses the Lion meekly. The team enters the Castle, and the eerie silence bemuses the group as they enter the vestibule.**

**"Hellooo?" Hunk calls, breaking the oppressive silence. His voice echoes in the emptiness and everyone stares at him, startled. Hunk shrugs.**

“You know someone always dies after yelling in a horror movie.” Lance points out.

“Someone always dies in horror movies anyway.” Pidge adds.

They all turn to look at her exasperatedly.

“Didn’t need that!” Lance tells her forcefully.

**Pidge eyes a human sized staircase. "From the size of the Lion, I expected these steps to be bigger." A beam of light suddenly appears as the Castle activates and they all gasp.**

**"Hold for identity scan." A computer announces in a feminine tone.**   
**"What?" Pidge breathes in confusion.**

“I believe it was rather self-explanatory, Number 5.” Coran said. “An identity scan was desired-”

“No, we got that Coran.” Pidge sighed.

“Well then wha-”

“Never mind.” Pidge said over him hastily.

**"Why are we here?” Shiro demands as a blue ray scans each of them. “What do you want with us?"**   
**"Whoa!" Lance and Pidge exclaim. Crystal torches built into the walls light up a path.**

**"I guess we're going that way." Pidge infers. The team moves forward, and more torches ignite, leading them deeper inside.**

“I feel like we’re watching a futuristic remake of those old Indiana Jones movies or something.” Pidge commented.

**"Hello? ... Hellooo?" Hunks voice echoes as he calls out. Hunk remains unanswered as the team arrives at the Sleep Chamber of the Castleship.**

**"Hello?" Hunk repeats.**   
**"Where are we?" Lance asks. They all observe the technologically advanced room as fixtures glow with a soothing blue light.**   
**"It's some kind of control room." Pidge examines a console, gasping when it activates and two sleep pods simultaneously raise from the floor.**

**"Are these guys... dead?" Hunk asks, eyeing the two humanoid silhouettes.**

“I would hope not.” Allura said wryly.

“Uh, sorry Allura, and you, Coran.” Hunk apologized. “Though, um, to be fair there was a chance that you were dead...especially since you were in the middle of a deserted spaceship and everything…”

“Hunk. You’re rambling, buddy.” Lance told him.

“Yeah, sorry.”

**One of the sleep pods opens, revealing Allura as she instantly awakens.**

**Allura gasps, reaching her arm out as she tips forward. "Father!" Lance immediately catches Allura, blushing as he holds her in his arms.**

**"Hello." Lance says suavely.**

“Smooth, sharpshooter.” Pidge says sarcastically.

**"Who are you? Where am I?" Allura asked.**   
**"I'm Lance. And you're right here in my arms."**   
**"Your... ears." Allura says, noticing the features for the first time.**   
**"... Yeah?" Lance asks hesitantly.**   
**"They're hideous. What's wrong with them?" Allura questions, removing her hands from Lance’s person immediately.**

Shiro and Keith smiled as everyone else except for Lance and Allura laughed.

“They’re hideous!” Pidge mocked. She bent over in a new bought of snickering.

“I did get used to them.” Allura defended.

“Wait, when you said his ears, were you referring to Lance or just all of our ears in general?” Hunk asked, elbowing Lance’s side teasingly.

Shiro forced his mouth into a solemn line. “Okay, that’s enough Hunk, Pidge.”

“Thank you!” Lance cried.

**"Nothing's wrong with them! They heard exactly what you said about them!" Lance refutes irritably. Allura swiftly grasps Lance’s ears and flips him around onto his knees, restraining him professionally.**

  
“Wooh! Go Allura!” Pidge cheered.

“Who’s side are you on!” Lance growled angrily.

“Uh, Allura’s, duh.”

“Seriously?” Lance said exasperatedly.

“Yeah, I’ve got to admit I’m kind of feeling Teem Allura.” Hunk agreed.

“Definitely Allura.” Keith decided.

“...Yeah, I’ve got to say, Allura was pretty great there.” Lance allowed. Allura blushed under all the comments.

**"Who are you?” Allura interrogates harshly. “Where is King Alfor? What are you doing in my Castle?"**   
**"A giant blue lion brought us here! That's all we know!" Lance answer’s hastily.**   
**"How do you have the Blue Lion? What happened to its Paladin?” Allura demands, eyeing the rest of the team as she releases Lance. “What are you all doing here? Unless... How long has it been?"**   
**"We don't know what you're talking about.” Shiro explains, Hunk hiding behind his muscular frame. “Why don't you tell us who you are? Maybe we can help."**

“And you did.” Allura said. “Each of you.”

“Yeah, no biggie.” Lance said.”

“It’s not like we had much of a choice anyway.” Keith pointed out. “Zarkon would have found Earth and killed us and everything else eventually.”

“Still, I must thank you all.” Allura insisted. “Who knows how long it would take to discover and train a different batch of possible Paladins?”

**"I am Princess Allura of Planet Altea. I've got to find out where we are and how long we've been asleep." Allura strides to the console purposefully, accessing the device by placing her hands on it and allowing a screen to appear.**

  
Shiro watched Allura flinch in the corner of his vision, and he grimaced. Her and Corans discovery of their loss would be just the beginning of the painful memories they would need to review.

**Pidge watches closely as Allura works. "Okay, that's how that works." The second sleep pod opens, revealing Coran. He gapes at the sight of Lance.**

  
**"E-Enemy combatants!" With a grunt Coran flings himself at Lance, foot out angled for a costly kick. Lance merely sidestepped the attack and Coran lost his balance.**

  
“Seriously!” Lance complains. “Why do all the Alteans wake up and attack me!”

“You’re just special that way.” Pidge told him helpfully.

**"Quiznak!” Coran cursed as Allura turned back to the console, unimpressed. “You're lucky I have a case of the old "Sleep Chamber Knees". Otherwise, I'd grab your head like this, wrap you up like so and—One, two, three—" Coran imitates his description.**

**"—Sleepy time!" Coran snaps his fingers with finality.**   
**"Well, before you did that, I'd—Hoo! Ha! Hiyah!" Lance argues, imitating poorly executed karate poses.**

  
“Behold. Defender of the universe.” Pidge threw her arms up in the direction of the TV.

Hunk and Coran laughed and Shiro, Allura, and Keith smiled.

“Ugh, Pidge, pick on Coran for a change.” Lance protested.

**"—Like that." Lance finishes.**   
**"Oh, Really?!” Coran fires back. “Well how could you do that when I've already come at you with this?!" Coran bends down and pretends to strike repeatedly.**

**"Ha, ha, ha, ha-ey!" Which each sound Coran’s hand snaps forward.**   
**"Man, these guys are good." Hunk observes.**   
**"It can't be..." Allura says desperately.**   
**"What is it?" Coran asks, turning away from Lance.**   
**"We've been asleep for 10,000 years!" Allura reveals. She recalls her last memory of being awake.**

**Standing at the Bridge of the Castle of Lions with Coran and her father, King Alfor, it’s clear the Castleship is under attack by Zarkon’s fleet. The image of the Galra leader appears on a screen.**

  
“Wait!” Allura cries, eyes wide as she stares at the screen. “That’s not-how-but my memories aren’t-”

She broke off.

“Princess…” Coran began.

Allura shook her head, still staring at the screen in upset bafflement. “I knew that the collection of moments was extensive...but to have gained access to a memory from thousands of years from now…”

“We knew going in to this that some things were going to be shown that we wanted to keep hidden.” Keith pointed out. “This is only the beginning. It’s going to get worse.”

Shiro sighed and reached over, but Keith ducked under his hand before it could ruffle his hair, then turned and gave Shiro a flat stare of disapproval.

Shiro rolled his eyes and turned away from his disgruntled dark haired friend. “Okay, well what Keith is trying to say under all the doom and gloom, is that we were prepared for this when we agreed to start watching these memories.”

“Yeah. We did agree.” Pidge realized.

“Right.” Shiro turned to Allura. “Okay, well Allura. These are the first...more sensitive moments we’ve seen. And they are your memories. Now, I’m not saying there’s much of an option here, with M in charge. But if you really need us too I guess we could try to think of something else-”

“No.” Allura said firmly. “There is bound to be much more revealed later on. If this is something that will help is succeed in our task, I can handle it.”

“If you’re sure.” Shiro said, but he sounded relieved. “Coran? What about you? This is about…”

“If the Princess wishes it than it will not be a problem!”

“Thank you Coran.” Allura answered. “Now, let us continue watching.”

**"Zarkon!" Alfor addresses.**   
**"Your fleet has been destroyed, Alfor. I will be there shortly to claim Voltron." Zarkon threatens, before ending the transmission. A Glara warship blasts the Castle ship with a powerful cannon.**

  
No one said anything as Allura brushed at her eyes, and Coran swallowed thickly.

**"Father,” Allura stumbles from the enemy’s fire and turns towards King Alfor, “we must form Voltron and fight before it's too late!"**   
**"It's already too late.” Alfor decides. “We must send the Lions away. We can't risk them falling into Zarkon's hands."**   
**"We can't give up hope!" Allura persists.**   
**"I'm sorry, daughter. If all goes well, I will see you again soon." King Alfor apologizes, using a mysterious light to put his daughter asleep.**

**"Father...!" Allura gasps, already losing consciousness.**   
**"I love you." Alfor says, and Allura’s memories end.**

  
“Father…” Allura muttered sadly.

They waited for a minute. “Um, Allura? Coran? Are you guys okay?” Pidge asked meekly.

“O-of course!” Coran said. “Absolutely fine! As Grandpa Wimbelton often said, ‘never let a dead floggernough sour your miffenclid!”  
“Coran is right.” Allura agreed. “I am fine as well.”

“Great!” Hunk cheered, before turning and not so subtly asking Lance, “What’s a floggernough?”

Lance raised an eyebrow. “I think the better question is what that and a miffenclid have to do with all of this.”

“Just don’t ask.” Pidge hissed. “The explanation will make it worse.”

**"Planet Altea and all of the planets in our solar system have been destroyed. Coran, Father is gone. Our entire civilization..." Allura’s expression tightens as she becomes enraged.**

**Zarkon!" At Allura’s words, Shiro recalls Zarkon’s malicious face.**

  
Shiro finds himself growling along with multiple other audience members.

**"Zarkon...?" Shiro echoes questioningly.**   
**"He was the King of the Galra.” Allura explained. “A vile creature and enemy to all free people."**   
**"I remember now... I was his prisoner." Shiro announces.**

Shiro winces. It hadn’t been too long since he was last a prisoner under Zarkon’s forces. The memories of all captured experiences were still fresh in his mind.

**"He's still alive? Impossible!" Allura insists, her clenched fist held against her chest.**   
**"I can't explain it, but it's true. He's searching for a super weapon called Voltron." Shiro divulges.**

**"He's searching for it because he knows it's the only thing that can defeat him, and that's exactly why we must find it before he does." Allura replies.**

  
**At Zarkon’s Central Command, Haggar the witch is surrounded by glowing purple crystals, where she is scrying for information in a magic circle. Moaning with the exertion of her searching, Haggar suddenly senses something, and departs to inform Zarkon.**

  
“She’s so creepy!” Hunk shudders. “Seriously.”

**"The Blue Lion has returned, and now I feel a resurgence of Altean energy." Haggar says, addressing the Galra emperor directly.**   
**"Alfor's daughter lives?” Zarkon assumes. “How?"**

“The real question would be how these two lived as long as they have.” Pidge said. “Seriously, I get that the lifespan of different species changes, but how do they live for a thousand years?”

“Blows your mind.” Lance agreed. “Maybe you can cook up some sciencey explanation by watching these videos.”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “I’m a tech expert, Lance. Not a science enthusiast.”

**"I know not, but it is time to reclaim what is rightfully ours." Haggar proclaims sinisterly.**   
**"Yes.” Zarkon agrees. “I shall wipe that foul race from the universe forever and take back Voltron. Contact my commanders."**

“Alteans are not the foul race.” Allura growled. “Speaking as the leader of the Galra of all species, Zarkon has no right to the words he speaks.”

Shiro watches Keith wince in the corner of his eye, and he nearly sighs. He knew the hatred Alura had garnered for the Galra in was strong, but she had started to lay off on the Galra insults around Keith and the Blades of Marmora. Shiro guessed that with the memories getting dredged up from the show, Allura’s thoughts were becoming a little scrambled, and her awareness of her surroundings was lessening.

He just hoped that Allura got a better grip on herself before it really started to affect her and Keith’s interactions again.

**Elsewhere on a Galra warship, Sendak is charging his prosthetic arm.**   
**"Emperor Zarkon requests an audience." Says a Galra soldier by the name of Haxus, under Sendak’s command. Sendak receives Zarkon’s video transmission at the warship’s Bridge.**

**Sendack kneels as Zarkon begins to speak."Commander Sendak, the Princess of Altea is alive and hiding in your sector. We believe she alone holds the whereabouts of the remaining Lions. Your battle fleet is the closest to her location. Retrieve her and the Lions. With them all, the Galra Empire will be unstoppable."**

“Now that, is a terrifying thought.” Lance decided.

No one disagreed.

**"I fight for the Empire. I conquer in the name of Galra. No foe has ever stood in my way and none ever will. Vrepit sa!" Sendak saluts faithfully. Zarkon ends the transmission.**

**"Set a course for Arus." Sendak orders immediately.**

  
**On the Castleship, Allura stands before the console at the Sleep Chamber with a plate of green food goo floating nearby.**

  
“Ugh, Hunk, your food goo is way better.” Pidge murmured, at a volume where Coran couldn’t hear her. Shiro was thankful. He really didn’t want to deal with an ageing melodramatic Altean at the moment.

**"Princess, you must eat. It's been 10,000 years!" Coran reminds her.**

“I’m hungry and it hasn’t even been 10 hours!” Hunk exclaimed, eyes wide at the thought of having no food for such an extensive period of time.

**"I'm not hungry." Allura insists.**   
**"Man, 10,000 years? That's like one thousand plus ten." Lance says, impressed.**   
**"That's times ten." Keith immediately points out.**

“Seriously? Okay, you know what Lance? Keith is now officially higher on the intelligence totem pole.” Pidge informed the current red paladin coldly. Looking highly offended at Lance’s math skills.

**Lance scowls. "Whatever, dropout."**   
**"I haven't eaten since breakfast and I'm starving." Hunk shares helpfully.**   
**"Yeah, but you've thrown up, like, five times." Pidge remarks.**   
**"Hmm... Good point." Hunk recedes. He begins to consume the food goo, eating although disgusted.**

**"I can't believe your civilization created such advanced technology 10,000 years ago. It must have been an incredible place." Shiro praises, addressing Allura and Coran.**   
**"Yes, it was... but now it is gone and we're the last Alteans alive." Coran says. Allura’s expression turns mournful and Coran comforts her. But as Allura hugs Coran, she hears a squeak originate from her sleep pod, where she finds four Altean mice.**

  
“I wonder why the mice aren’t here?” Pidge asked suddenly. “I mean, they’re kind of the mascot’s of the castle in a way.”

“It’s probably for the same reason Kaltenecker isn’t here.” Keith figured. “The animals just don’t have anything to add to the experience.”

“You’re such a downer.” Lance said. “Those mice have been helpful in the past!”

“Keith’s right.” Shiro said, absentmindedly realizing that Lance looked down in the corner of his eye. “They just don’t add any value to us analyzing anything we see.”

**"Looks like we're not the last, after all." Allura stares happily downward at the new discoveries, until the Castleship alarms blare. The console’s screen shows the image a Galra battleship.**

**"A Galra battleship has set its tracker to us!" Coran declares.**   
**"How did they find us?!" Allura questions.**   
**Lance side-eyes Keith suspiciously. "I'm not sure, but I bet it's Keith's fault."**   
**“Say whatever you've got to say to make yourself feel better... after getting us stuck on the other side of a Wormhole!" Keith shoots back, leaning forward aggressively.**   
**"I'LL STICK YOU IN A WORMHOLE!" Lance threatened. The two look about to fight, however Shiro separates the two.**

“That makes no sense!” Keith argued.

“It makes total sense!” Lance refuted heatedly.

Pidge sighed. “Been together how long and they still fight like kindergarteners.”

Keith and Lance both closed their mouths and crossed their arms. Staring away from each other pointedly.

**"Stow it, cadets!” Shiro orders. “This is no time to place blame, it's time to work as a team. How long before they arrive?"**

“Technically Keith hadn’t been a cadet for a long time before then. And we kind of ditched the Garrison and everything, too.” Hunk pointed out. “But cool leadership moment Shiro.”

“Uh, thanks?” Shiro answered, feeling a little as though he wasn’t being applauded, in anyway.

**"At their speed?” Coran does the math, glancing at his fingers as he computes. “Oh, well, uh, carry the two... I'd say probably a couple of days?"**

“And how reliable did that math turn out to be?” Pidge asked. She turned to face Lance. “And this is why correct symbols are vital in equations that could dictate major events in our lives!”

“Okay! Okay, I get it!”

**"Good.” Allura looks on determinedly. “Let them come! By the time they get here, you five will have reformed Voltron, and together, we will destroy Zarkon's empire!"**

**Hunk burps."Sorry! Food goo."**   
**"Princess, there are five of these Lions.” Shiro reminds her. “How are we going to find the rest?"**

“Well, you got lucky Shiro. Your’s was already there.” Lance pointed out.

“He still went with me.” Pidge allowed.

**In the Castleship's Bridge, Allura stands directly center under a crystal as Coran speaks."King Alfor connected the Lions to Allura's life force. She alone is the key to the Lions' whereabouts."**

“He sure knew what he was doing.” Coran announced proudly, glancing at Allura with complete faith glittering in the depths of his eyes.

**Allura activates the computer, and a holographic map of the universe springs into existence. "Whoa!" Everyone responds with surprise as they take in the 3D images.**   
**"These are... coordinates.” Pidge realizes, examining the miniature representations of two lions closely. “The Black Lion looks like it's in the same location as the Blue Lion."**   
**"Look at your primitive synapses firing away in their little brain cage!" Coran cheers excitedly.**

“Still a little irritated with that.” Pidge warned the man. Coran grimaced, and Shiro didn’t blame him. Their smallest paladin could be a handful when she went on a revenge trip.

**"Very observant.” Allura notes. “That's because the Black Lion is in the Castle."**   
**"To keep the Black Lion out of Zarkon's hands, King Alfor locked it in the Castle. It can only be freed if the other four Lions are present." Coran explained, gazing at the model.**   
**"As you have found, the Lions choose their pilots.” Allura begins. “It is a mystical bond and cannot be forced. The Quintessence of the pilot is mirrored in his Lion. Together, they form something greater than science can explain."**

They all nod. Whether Coran, who only had an outside connection by watching the paladins work, Allura, who was newer to the Paladin job herself, Keith, who had left his post, or any of the others, they had all witnessed or experienced the magical sensation of the lions.

**Allura sends the Black Lion hologram towards Shiro.**

**"The Black Lion is the decisive head of Voltron. It will take a pilot who is a born leader and in control at all times, someone whose men will follow without hesitation. That is why, Shiro, you will pilot the Black Lion." At Allura’s words, Shiro stares at the Black Lion replica determinedly.**

“You know, I never really thought about it, but that’s exactly like you Shiro.” Keith pointed out. “Allura, how did you pin our personalities so easily at the beginning?”

Allura shook her head and grimaced in embarrassment. “Well...actually, as obvious as some tendencies were, most of how I decided who would originally pair with each lion was...educated assumptions.”

They all stared at her.

Shiro puzzled it out and spoke up first. “So...you placed the fragile balance between Voltron’s key components in the hands of...guesswork?”

“Well, I...I wouldn’t quite say that…” Allura frowned. “I suppose I did.”

“Wait, so all that stuff you said before telling us our Lions, that never really mattered?” Hunk asked.

“I mean, the Lions would not have accepted you as their Paladins unless you fit their needs. And I did spend years learning Altean politics, and practicing different techniques to guess an individual's feelings or point of view. I did believe what I was saying to be true.”

Hunk sighed. “That’s confusing.”

Allura smiled. “I like to call it fate.”

**Allura moves the Green Lion’s hologram towards Pidge.**

**"The Green Lion has an inquisitive personality and needs a pilot of intellect and daring.” Allura describes.**

“Wow, you really are good at guessing a person right off the bat.” Pidge said, grinning.

“Humility, Pidge.” Lance chastised. “Ever heard of it?”

Pidge scowled.

**“Pidge, you will pilot the Green Lion. The Blue Lion—"**   
**But Lance interrupts before Allura can continue. "—Whope, hold up, let me guess: Takes the most handsome slash best pilot of the bunch?" As Lance smirks, Allura looks annoyed, before continuing on to the next lion.**

  
“Humility, Lance.” Pidge mocked. “Ever heard of it?”

Lance stuck out his tongue.

**"The... Yellow Lion is caring and kind." Allura comments, putting emphasis on the word ‘yellow’.**

**Allura sends the hologram Yellow Lion towards Hunk.**

**"Its pilot is one who puts the needs of others above his own. His heart must be mighty. As the leg of Voltron, you will lift the team up and hold them together." When Allura finished, Hunk points to himself questionably.**

  
“That’s our leg!” Lance grinned, elbowing Hunk in the side again. Color flooded to the Yellow Paladin’s cheeks.

**“The Red Lion is temperamental and the most difficult to master.” Allura warns. “It's faster and more agile than the others, but also more unstable. Its pilot needs to be someone who relies more on instincts than skill alone. Keith, you will fly the Red Lion."**

Shiro couldn’t help the flare of pride at Allura’s words. He remembered putting hours in the simulator with Keith back at the Garrison. Teaching the young cadet how to funnel his raw talent into different environments. Keith had done well, both with Voltron, and in the Blades of Marmora.

**Allura sends the Red Lion Hologram towards Keith.**

**"What? This guy?" Lance asks unbelievably. Keith and Lance both glare at each other.**

**"Unfortunately, I cannot locate the Red Lion's coordinates yet.” Allura adds apologetically. “There must be something wrong with the Castle. After 10,000 years, it... might need some work."**

“It certainly did!” Coran agreed.

"Don't worry, we'll find it soon.” Coran reassures. “They don't call me "The Coranic" for nothing. It's because it sounds like "mechanic." So... Coranic, mechanic. It's not—It doesn't sound... exactly like it. It's similar." The five hologram Lions roar and charge together, forming Voltron.

**"Once all the Lions are united, you will form Voltron, the most powerful warrior ever known, the Defender of the Universe." Allura declares.**

The video paused, and they all turned to Pidge, who held out the remote pointed at the TV.

“Um, sorry.” She said. ‘I was just thinking, maybe we could go raid that kitchen real quick?”

Hunk’s eyes went as wide as saucers. “Yes!”

“I’m in!” Lance agreed.

“Me as well.” Coran mentioned. “I would like to try your ‘Earthen food’.”

“I would also enjoy experiencing the food of your home planet.” Allura put in.

“Alright.” Shiro decided. “Quick break. Then we’ll finish this episode.”

They all stood up to leave, walking out the door.

“So, you’re all seriously ditching?” Keith asked, staring after them exasperatedly from his spot on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! All done! I hope you enjoyed it, and if not, please review (nicely?) and give me suggestions for how to adapt this and make it better. 
> 
> Seriously, feedback is the best gift ever. I spent hours on this in all (estimation) and it'll take you about thirty seconds to write a note. So please do? Kudos are cool too! 
> 
> Hope to get the next update out soon, but it'll definitely be once I'm out of school. I'm just a little swarmed at the moment. Thanks for reading! Toodles!

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah! Thanks for giving it a read, any kind of feedback you can give is greatly appreciated...I'll try to get the next chapter up soon enough but the first ep. is like three put together so unless you want me to cut it up it'll take a bit longer. So...please tell me how I did...it means a lot...I'm gonna stop wasting your time now...
> 
> Toodles!


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